Depression Defined

Depression can easily be confused with sadness. There is a link. You can think of it this way: All depression is sadness, but not all sadness is depression. How do you know if your teen is depressed, or just sad?

• Depression is an extreme form of sadness. It can be thought of as taking sadness to the limit, then beyond.
• Depression follows a cyclical pattern. It keeps coming back.
• When it comes back, depression hangs around for a long time. It is hard to get over the sad feelings associated with depression.

Depression then, is “Supersadness.” This is a deceptive term in that it implies strength. If your teen is suffering from depression, he or she is likely to feel more like a “superzero” than a kid of steel.

There are three subcategories of depression:

Major Depression: If your teen exhibits numerous symptoms which make it difficult or impossible to sleep, study, or engage in their normal daily routine, they suffer from a major form of depression. Major depression can strike suddenly and last for up to a month, or longer.

Dysthymia: This category is characterized by fewer yet more enduring symptoms, often lasting years. Also, the symptoms come on slowly, and are harder to diagnose. If your teen has dysthymia, they still may experience attacks of major depression.

Bipolar Disorder: Sufferers of this category used to be called manic-depressives. If your teen goes through an “up and down” mood pattern (these are longer lasting than mood swings) then they display signs of bipolar disorder. The “down” mood patterns can be major or relatively minor.

Why Depression?

There is no single cause for depression. One cause is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Genetics plays a role, as depression is known to be hereditary. Still another factor is outside stimuli: situations a person faces and how they deal with them.

In teens, depression is predominant in females, with an occurrence double than that found in males. Social stimuli are a factor in teen depression, with abused or traumatized teens or those with learning disabilities being at higher risk.

Adolescence is a time of rapid changes. These changes often make teens feel “stressed out”. Too much pressure might result in depression. The problem only gets worse when teens turn to alcohol or other illegal narcotics as a means of dealing with depression.

While alcohol has long been linked to teen depression, new illegal narcotics are raising concerns. Methamphetamine (crank, meth) and “raver drugs” like Ecstacy have been linked to physiological depression. Use of these drugs can alter the brains ability to produce needed neurotransmitters, chiefly dopamine. The “high” associated with these drugs may result in a permanent low.

Lifestyle can cause depression, as depressed persons tend to be worriers who blow things out of proportion. Being around other people with depression can be a factor, although the disorder isn’t any more contagious than yawning. Teens with depressed parents may become depressed through contact rather than genetic factors.

If depression is caused by chemical imbalance (physiological), it can be treated with medication. Such drugs increase the level of neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain. These chemicals allow the brain’s many sections to interconnect, and if they are too low, depression can result. Depression should be severe before drugs are used, as the side effects can be detrimental.

Telltale Signs

• Frequent crying over small things, or for no noticeable reason.
• Expressing little hope in present or future situation.
• Lack of attention to personal hygiene.
• Showing interest in disturbing or “dark” music, books, and poetry.
• Becoming easily hurt by criticism.
• More easily aggravated and annoyed. Expressing anger or rage.
• Sleeping a lot. Being fatigued without observable illness.
• Pretending to be sick (hypochondria).
• Sudden drop in school performance. Causing problems at school.
• Losing interest in activities. Quitting teams, clubs, etc.
• Skipping school, avoiding or snubbing friends and family.
• Not wanting to talk about problems.
• Low self-esteem. Feeling like “it is me against the world.”
• Trouble focusing. Seeming like they are “not all there.”
• Development of an eating disorder.
• Running away from home, or threats to do so.
• Talking about suicide.
• Cutting or burning themselves.
• Drinking and/or taking drugs.