Am I Depressed?
Before I learned about depression, I, like many others, couldn't tell the difference between being sad and being depressed. This is a problem because people developing depression won’t be able to realize that it is more than just a phase. And how could we expect them to if we were raised this way?
Ms. Lily González, school psychologist, gave her take on the issue, “In our society, physical health is promoted more than mental health. Without a healthy mind, we can't have a healthy body... we promote mental disorder awareness because they are equally as important.”
The fact that our society has created a stigma that having a mental disorder is abnormal is one of the causes of why those with this condition refuse to seek help for fear of being judged. This is the real problem. How can we trust society if we have always been judged by it?
Depression is a very serious issue that passes under our radar until we find out someone has committed suicide because of it. It's until then that we give it the attention it deserves. But this only lasts for so long. I find this extremely sickening, but sadly that's our reality. We say we care but never prove otherwise.
It's not unusual for teenagers to experience sadness from time to time, but depression is a mental disorder characterized by having a constant melancholic mood, causing significant impairment in daily life. Common symptoms include:
Tiredness
Sleeping too much or not sleeping enough (insomnia/hypersomnia)
Loss of interest in activities
Feeling hopeless/worthless/pessimistic
Headaches, pains
Feeling empty
Suicidal thoughts/attempts
Depression can affect anyone—even those who appear to have perfect lives. This mental health problem is caused by what are known as “risk factors”: they can be an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain, genetics, low self-esteem, exposure to violence, chaos, abuse, poverty, etc. However, there are common causes for depression as well. These include physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; the loss of a loved one, stressful even, or substance/drug abuse.
Depression can affect anyone from any age or gender.
Nevertheless, depression is 100% treatable, with 80-90% patients responding well to treatment. Some treatments include psychotherapy, where coping skills are taught; cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps change negative thoughts and actions; interpersonal therapy, which teaches how to build better relationships with people and yourself; and medication.
If all this information helped at least one person talk about his/her depression and look for help, I would have accomplished my goal.
Remember, the first thing to do if feeling depressed is talking to someone; a friend, adult, school counselor/psychologist, or even a professional. Seek help if you are feeling down because it's better now than never.