Amy Gelman - Im Depressed. Now What?

A lmost everyone has at one time or another turned to a friend and said, Im depressed. Feeling a certain amount of sadness and pain is a part of life. Sometimes people feel depressed because of a specific event, such as a relative dying, a close friend moving away, or breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. At other times, we may feel depressed for no apparent reason. Those times may be more difficult to understand than when we feel sad in response to an event, but even inexplicable sadness is usually normal if it is temporary.

For millions of people in the United States, however, depression is not a passing mood but a serious illness. People with clinical depression, as the disease is generally called, may experience periods of severe sadness, loss of interest in activities that once gave them pleasure, lack of energy, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, and even thoughts of suicide. Like the everyday blues that most people experience, the mental disorder called depression may be situational, which means it is triggered by a difficult or painful event, or it may be chronic, which means it lasts for an extended period of time.

Nearly everyone experiences depression. Adolescence can be a trying time due to all the changes going on, which makes battling depression all the more difficult.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 14.8 million adults in the United States have depression. Nearly two million teenagers (ages twelve to eighteen) are affected by this disorder as well. In April 2009, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which sets guidelines for doctors on many health issues, recommended that all American teenagers get screened for depression, as long as there are appropriate screening tests to ensure accurate diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care. This serious medical illness affects emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and health. People might feel hopeless, deeply unhappy, or unconnected to friends and family members. They lose interest in relationships, school, and social activities.

Depression can continue for several weeks, months, or even longer. The symptoms vary for each person. Common symptoms include feeling negative, sleeping too much or too little, and weight gain or loss. Small tasks, such as making your bed or brushing your teeth, can seem like a huge undertaking. In very serious cases, people may even have thoughts of hurting themselves. Depression can usually be treated successfully, though, and a variety of treatments are available. Treatment for teens usually includes therapy or a combination of antidepressant medications and therapy.

Depression can affect anyone at any time. Even young children may be diagnosed with depression, although this is not as common as it is in adults and teenagers. According to the NIMH, approximately four of every one hundred teenagers become seriously depressed each year.

Left untreated, depression can worsen, and the depressed person may begin to feel hopeless and lose interest in life. At its worst, depression can lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. Fortunately scientists are finding more and more successful treatments for depression each year, ranging from psychological counseling and therapy to medication. Although no surefire, permanent cure for depression exists, psychiatrists, researchers, and other experts have learned a great deal about the causes, symptoms, and best treatments for this complex disease, and the outlook for people with depression continues to improve.

Until relatively recently, most experts focused on the psychological causes of depression. Depression can be triggered by any number of psychological events and factors, including abuse or other trauma during childhood; the loss of an important relationship, such as in a divorce; excessive stress; or a major life change. Researchers now believe, however, that there is also a significant physical component to depression. In recent years, as scientists have learned more about the way the brain functions, they have been able to identify certain chemicals in the brain that affect the way we think and feel. Specifically, some of the chemicals known as neurotransmitters are believed to play an important role in determining whether or not a person will be prone to depression.

A dolescence is a difficult time for nearly everyone. In addition to the physical changes that puberty brings, adolescence is a time of great emotional change. Many teenagers feel restricted by their parents rules and look for ways to challenge them. They find themselves caught between childhood and adulthood, with more responsibility than they had in their preteen years. Teens may begin dating and dealing with romantic and sexual relationships, with all the emotional ups and downs that those relationships can bring. Friends from childhood may find that they have grown apart, and feelings of loneliness are common. Even for popular, confident teens, though, adolescence can be a tough adjustment.

It is not surprising, then, that many people with depression experience their first serious episode when they are teenagers. This is particularly likely if either or both of a teens parents have experienced depression. As with an adult, a teens depression may be brought on by a specific event or series of events, such as conflict with parents or trouble in school, but it is also possible for depression to strike for no apparent reason. In addition, the teen years are the time when many people with bipolar disorder first show symptoms, although teens who are bipolar may have more depressive periods than manic ones. About four out of every one hundred teenagers become clinically depressed each year, and this rate is rising. Statistics also show that depressed teenagers are more likely to attempt or commit suicide than depressed adults are. This is why it is especially important for teens who are at risk of committing suicide to seek help.

While most people experience depression at some point in their lives, the teenage years are typically when depression first surfaces.