Teenage Depression: Take It Seriously

by Erica Leigh Johnson

"Well, this is it," she said as she dropped the last handful of assorted drugs into her mouth and swallowed. She lay down, with her favorite teddy bear in her arms, and went to sleep. She never woke up.

"She" is one of the 5,000 teenagers who commit suicide each year. "She" is a threat that people didn't take seriously. "She" is now just a statistic.

Teenage suicide is one of the highest ranked causes of death in this age group. Some studies have even shown that more people kill themselves than the number of people who are killed by others. Eight out of every ten people who commit suicide have left either verbal or non-verbal clues as signs of "warning." Over 70% of the people who do threaten suicide either make an attempt to kill themselves or are successful with the act. The majority of the time, a suicidal person is unsure about his/her decision. Of all suicides, 80% have made at least one previous attempt. Teenage suicide can no longer be shrugged off as a "passing phase" or an "epidemic."

Depression is not something you choose to deal with, nor is it a call for attention or love. Depression is a disease and can affect anyone, especially teenagers.

Being a teenager can be hell. Adolescence is a time of emotional turmoil, mood swings, dramatic events, enormous changes both mental and physical, as well as being all-around stressful. Along with that, the teenage years are a time of rebellion and behavioral experimentation. Those factors make depression harder to spot in teenagers. A diagnosis therefore has to rely not only on the teen, but on his/her parents, teachers, friends, and family as well. The person's previous personal behaviors must be taken into account, as well as any events or recent traumatic experiences that may have caused him/her stress.

Sadness or gloominess doesn't necessarily mean a person is depressed. However, if the sadness lingers and can not be shaken, depression could be present. Depression does not only affect you mentally, but physically as well. It can cause changes in your eating habits, energy level, and a loss of interest in pleasurable activities. It can also be the cause of stomachaches, headaches, drug and alcohol abuse, persistent boredom, a decline in schoolwork, difficulty concentrating and withdrawal from family and friends. Sometimes suicidal thoughts are very evident and the person will flat out tell you they are thinking about it. Other times, the thoughts are hidden or made to seem less severe. A young person who is debating suicide may simply complain of feeling "rotten inside."

I come to you as a survivor, a survivor of teenage depression. I had my first experience with depression about a year ago and my second this fall. So many times, depression in teenagers is shrugged off as a "passing phase" or someone just taking something too seriously, or perhaps letting the "little" things affect them, but its not. It is more that that. I can tell you, I was there. Suicide looked to be my only hope, my only way out. But after many tears, suicide thoughts and notes to friends, I got help. Going to someone with my problems was the best thing I could have done, because doing that is what kept me here today. I could have never done this without the love and support of my friends, who stood by me through my darkest hours of despair. I can tell you that there is life after depression.

Depression is scary and frightening, but it does in no way have to end in death. There is a way out. The only way I can explain depression to people who have been fortunate enough not to experience it is simply this: depression is like a room, with no doors or windows, just walls. No matter how hard you scream or how hard you pound, you can't get out. No one can hear you. Depression makes you feel a combination of so many conflicting emotions. You can be confused, sad, worried, frustrated, numb and more all at one time. Sometimes, all these emotions get all mixed up and you explode. You may start crying uncontrollably or get really angry. If you only knew what was wrong, you would fix it. But there isn't just one problem, your whole LIFE is the problem. If you could separate everything out and place them into little boxes and keep them there until you wanted to deal with them, you would. But you can't. Nothing you do gives you any pleasure and you just never feel "good" anymore. You are stuck in that room.

Now here is my goal for you. If you think you may have or know someone close to you who could be depressed, get help! I pray that you see that crack in the wall and realize that there is not only a way out, there is hope.

The author is a student at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, MN.