Teen Depression free essay sample

The Untold Story By: D. Bolden Due: Friday, May 17, 2013 Ms. Hendley Teenage Depression Ever wondered what’s the cause of your child is behaving different with no motivation, sleeping excessively, sadness, etc.? They may have teenage depression. Teens often go into teenage depression without it being known, but with very noticeable habits. Memory loss, sadness, anxiety, staying awake at night and sleeping all day, difficulty with concentrating, or withdrawl can all be symptoms showing depression with a teen. Teenagers usually become depressed because of their poor performance in school, social status with peers, sexual orientation, or family/friends life. The functioning of the teenage brain begins to work differently, and they may turn to alcohol or drugs for comfort. For example; â€Å"I am 17 years old, and I have been depressed once before, and believe I am a little depressed at this moment. My depression before was my boyfriend broke up with me. I felt like it was the end of the world. Like many other teenagers, I began to lose my appetite causing me to lose weight. I also stayed inside my room after school without coming out for hours at a time (if I decided to come out). I couldn’t control how sad I was or how sleepy I had become throughout the day. My parents and friends noticed a change in my behavior, and tried everything they could to make me happier, but nothing seemed to work. I was bitter and everything I did or someone else did reminded me of my ex boyfriend. The way I delt with it was talked to other boys, and stayed away from my house as much as possible. Now that I feel myself getting there, im trying to prevent it in every way I can. I haven’t lost my appetite, but I have cried my eyes out. I know its not the end of the world, but my mind is still telling me that it is. Being that ive been through this before, I do the opposite of what ive done in the past. I stay awake until nightfall, I motivate myself to behave in an orderly manner, and I eat as much as I can. Even though I try to prevent these depressing actions, there’s still some I have no control over. I can not control how sad I become at times, how many times I cry a day, or how distant I am from the people closest to me. With the information ive researched, I want to be able to help myself, along with other teenagers how to deal with teenage depression. Not only is it unhealthy, but also dangerous. I will explain graphs, share information about the regular teenage brain compared to a depressed teenage brain, discuss research, and give examples on teenage depression. The structure of the brain The most important part of the brain is called the brain stem. It controls basic functions such as alertness, breathing, blood pressure, and body temperature. The next important part is the emotional brain (called the limbic system)- which is involved in hormonal control, memory, as well as automatic (and usually unconscious) emotional reactions. And the last part is the conscious, thinking, planning, brain (called the cortex). If looked microscopically into the brain, its seen that there are millions of nerve cells. If you visualize a map of the United States showing all the highways as well as primary and secondary and even tertiary roads you can get a feel for a few things. First, not only are there many, many roads, but they seem to converge on certain points we call cities, towns, and neighborhoods. In the brain these points of convergence are called nuclei. One of the major nuclei in the brain is called the amygdala. This nucleus controls rage, fear, and sex. It also tells us whether a situation is safe, exciting, or dangerous, and our body reacts immediately to this unconscious reflex. This assessment of the situation is based on early childhood experiences. The Changing Teen Brain During the teen years, under the influence of massive new hormonal messages, as well as current needs and experiences, the teenagers brain is being reshaped, and reconstructed. Information highways are being speeded up (a process called myelination), and some old routes, closed down (this is called pruning); some are re-routed and reconnected to other destinations. And above all, old information highways are making lots of new connections to other highways, and other cites and towns (this is called sprouting). Its a massive construction project, unlike anything that occurs at any ther time in life. In such as situation, things rarely flow smoothly, and surprise destinations thrive. This reconstruction explains why the personality and stability that was evident just a year or two before adolescence recedes, and suddenly new perspectives, and reactions abound. One of the important things to remember is that what a teen does and is exposed to during this critical time in life, has a lar ge influence on the teens future, because experience and current needs shape the pruning and sprouting process in the brain. So if a teen is playing lots of video games, this will shape the brain in such a way that they might become an excellent fighter pilot, but becoming an accountant or researcher will be less possible. Being the class clown will help make a good sales person later on, and running for class president will develop brain skills that are needed to run a business or take on a management position. Being exposed to drugs, computer sex, or violent movies, will also shape the brain and future of the adolescent, laying down the seeds of addiction and interpersonal conflict. A Changing Brain Means A Changing Identity Because of all the change that is occurring in the brain, as well as in their social and academic world, teens have a deep need to define themselves, to clarify who they are, and what they stand for. As they are losing their pre-adolescent identity, they are desperate for a new identity. This search can have constructive or destructive aspects to it. Often the new identity is supplied by their peer group, for better or for worse. Because the teen doesnt know clearly what they want or what they can do, they like to try many different things. This helps them discover what works for them, what feels right, and who they are becoming. Researchers examined 151 adolescent females, 15 to 20 years of age, divided into six categories: depressed or nondepressed, those with a positive or negative family history of alcoholism, and those with a positive or negative family history of depression. Of the total, 58 met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Third Edition, Revised (DSM-IIIR) criteria for a personal lifetime diagnosis for depression (only 4 of these met the criteria for a current episode of depression). Researchers recorded electroencephalographic (EEG) activity from 31 electrode sites while the subjects sat relaxed inside a shielded, sound-proofed chamber with their eyes open. Results showed that a personal history of depression and a family history of alcoholism had opposite effects on the EEG power spectrum. Teen-age girls with a history of depression, not active depression, showed an enhanced amount of eight to 12 cycles per second brain electrical activity. This is referred to as alpha or slow-wave activity. If a teen is sad for more than two weeks, they are more than likely diagnosed with teenage depression. There are many different reasons why a teenager may become depressed. For instance, teens can be upset about they’re academic performance in school. School grade, socialation with others, sexuality choices or family life can each have a major effect on how a teen feels. Sometimes, teen depression may result from stress. But whatever the cause, when friends, family, or things that the teen usually enjoys dont help to improve the sadness or sense of isolation, theres a good chance that individual has teen depression. When teenagers are depressed, there are usually changes in their behavior and attitude. They may have no motivation and become distant from everything. Kids with teen depression may sleep excessively, have a change in eating habits, and may even criminal behaviors such as smoking drugs or shoplifting. Here are some symptoms of teenage depression: * Complaints of pains within their body * Difficulty concentrating * Struggle with making decisions * Excessive or inappropriate guilt * Irresponsible behavior * Loss of interest in food or compulsive overeating that results in rapid weight loss or gain * Preoccupation with death and dying Rebellious behavior * Sadness, anxiety, or a feeling of hopelessness * Staying awake at night and sleeping during the day * Sudden drop in grades * Use of alcohol or drugs and promiscuous sexual activity Causes of Teenage Depression: One of the main causes of teen depression seems to be an imbalance of chemicals that carry signals in the brain. Scientists are not sure what causes this imbalance, but this aspect of depression may be genetic. H aving a parent with depression increases the risk that a teen will have depression. Researchers are unsure whether this is due to genetic factors in depression or if actions or attitudes leading to depression may be learned by the teen of a depressed parent. Traumatic life changes such as a move, divorce, death of a loved one, or even the loss of a friend or boy/girlfriend can bring on symptoms of depression. Though sadness is a part of the normal grieving process, when a teen cannot overcome this sadness it leads to depression. Other stresses, such as troubles at home, at school, or in relationships, or the normal challenges of being a teenager, sometimes contribute to depression. A negative outlook, either due to personality traits or negative past experiences, makes a person more likely to suffer from depression. Some examples of negative mindsets include taking personal blame for actions beyond that individual’s control, connecting the negative events that occur in life so that they seem to be a pattern of nothing ever goes right, seeing a temporary setback or bad situation as permanent, low self-esteem, and hopelessness. Teens who have not learned to handle the normal stresses of life well, or who face a trauma that they cannot deal with, often suffer from depression. Abuse; physical, emotional, or sexual, is one form of trauma associated with depression. Being bullied or being a bully can contribute to depression. Chronical illness or a debilitating injury can trigger teen depression, and some medications, infections, and illnesses can also bring on depression or symptoms that look like depression. Suffering from another untreated mental disorder, such as an eating disorder, anxiety disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD), or conduct disorder can increase the risk of teen depression. Scientists have linked the use of drugs or alcohol to the onset of teen depression. Teenage or adolescent girls going through puberty are at higher risk for depression. Effects on Teenage Depression: Substance Abuse Teens with depression may abuse drugs and alcohol as a way to reduce their symptoms. Substance abuse will only worsen the symptoms of depression and the negative effects. Eating Disorders Teens with eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and various forms of dieting behaviors, may be struggling with depression, reports HelpGuide. org. Eating disorders give depressed teens some form of control in their life. They cannot control how they feel when they are depressed, but they can have power over their food intake. Low Self-Esteem One of the symptoms of depression is feelings of worthlessness. This feeling will cause a teens self-esteem to decrease. They will feel worse about things such as their looks, their abilities and their worthiness. Also, if depression induces teens to eat more they may gain weight, which can also hurt their self-esteem. Internet Addiction Some depressed teens may isolate themselves and begin spending all their time online. They may use the Internet as a way to escape their problems. Running Away Some teens with depression will either run away from home or talk about running away. Teens who are doing this are trying to send a signal that they need help. Reckless Behaviors A teenager who has depression may engage in careless and reckless behaviors that could be life threatening. Such behaviors could include drinking while driving, driving at very high speeds, mixing drugs and alcohol, engaging in high-risk sexual acts and hanging out with people who are dangerous. Violence Depression can fuel violence in some teens. Self-hatred and a wish to die can erupt into violent and homicidal. Teens who are depressed may engage in self-injurious behaviors, such as cutting, burning or other kinds of self-mutilation. This is done to redirect the pain of depression and to allow the teen to feel control over something in his life. Suicide teens can experience depression that is so severe that they may think about or attempt suicide. A teen thinking about suicide is considered an emergency situation. The teen should be taken to the emergency room and the teens therapist should be called. My Experiences * Complaints of pains within their body â€Å"I would complain about headaches, stomaches, etc. ven there wasn’t anything wrong with me. When it was something wrong with me, it would be terrible headches because I would be thinking about my heartbreaking memories all day. Along with thinking about the saddest moments of my life, they would also continuously replay in my head causing my headaches. † * Difficulty concentrating â€Å"I could not keep my concentration on anything. Every conversation I discussed reminded me of my old relationship. My sister and I could be talking about ice cream and I would tell her how much ice cream reminded me of that special person. Anything anyone did or said would take could not take my concentration away from my past relationship. † * Excessive or inappropriate guilt â€Å"I couldn’t stop blaming myself for our breakup. Everything that negatively happened throughout our relationship I felt guilty for. I continued thinking about what could have been and what I could have done to make the outcome different. † * Loss of interest in food or compulsive overeating that results in rapid weight loss or gain â€Å"The first time I went through a breakup with this guy, I went from a size 5 to a size 0. I didn’t want to eat because I didn’t have an appetite. I tried to force myself to eat, but it didn’t work. I began getting thinner, and there wasn’t anything I could do anything I could do about it, because my appetite still didn’t come back. The second time I went through a heartbreak with this same guy, I couldn’t stop eating. It was like food made me happy. Even when I was at my saddest, and he would bring me food, it would be as if nothing ever happened. † * Preoccupation with death and dying â€Å"If their would be anything I regret, it would be wishing I were dead. Being heartbroken seemed like the worst feeling in the world, therefore I used to wish I could just die. I thought that somehow being dead or ill would make the guy feel bad, and appreciate me more. I would never go through that phase again. † * Rebellious behavior â€Å"Becoming disrespectful and rebellious were some of the worst habits I could’ve went through with a heartbreak. Feeling like my parents and grandparents didn’t know anything what I was going through, though they knew everything and were just trying to help. I didn’t want to do anything they told me to do, and I also began talking back. I had to realize, that wasn’t hurting anyone but myself. â€Å" * Sadness, anxiety, or a feeling of hopelessness â€Å"Saddest moment of my life. I felt like their was nothing that could help me. I actually found out some heartbreaking news about my best friend and this same guy a few weeks ago and had an anxiety attack. When I woke up that morning the situation was on my mind very heavy. I thought rolling up a blunt of marijuana would help, therefore I smoked it. To get things off my mind, I began to clean but soon got tired. I was on my way to school when I became dizzy and felt like I was going to past out. I told my aunt to let the window down, and I began throwing up. I couldn’t stop. Once I went home and stopped crying I felt perfectly fine, but I still couldn’t stop thinking about the situation that asset hand. I called my teacher, and she told me that I had an anxiety attack. † * Staying awake at night and sleeping during the day â€Å"Anytime my heart is hurting, I stay up late at night and slept during the day. When I stayed awake at night, the things I went through was on my mind all night long. Even when I woke up during the day, I just laid in my bed, until the night came. * Use of alcohol or drugs and promiscuous sexual activity â€Å"I didn’t use alcohol, but I never smoked weed so much. I smoked until I couldn’t smoke anymore to get everything off of my mind and to help me ease the pain. It kept me happy, and painless. I was a little promiscuous, and behaved in that manner. I just wanted to feel wanted and love, so I went to a couple dude s I knew well. Never again. I had to gain respect for myself, and realize that was not easing the pain, only bringing more. â€Å" Many types of treatment are available. In some cases, a primary care doctor can prescribe medications that relieve depression symptoms. However, many teens need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist or other mental health counselor. A combination of medications and psychological counseling (psychotherapy) is very effective for most teens with depression. If your teen has severe depression or is in danger of self-harm, he or she may need a hospital stay or may need to participate in an outpatient treatment program until symptoms improve. Medications Because studies on the effects of antidepressants in teens are limited, doctors rely mainly on adult research when prescribing medications. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two medications for teen depression, fluoxetine (Prozac) and escitalopram (Lexapro). Talking with a teen doctor and pharmacist about possible side effects, weighing the benefits and risks. In some cases, side effects may go away as the body adjusts to the medication. Psychotherapy? Psychotherapy, also called psychological counseling or talk therapy, is a general term for treating depression by talking about depression and related issues with a mental health provider. Psychotherapy may be done one-on-one, with family members or in a group. Through these regular sessions, teens can learn about the causes of depression, how to identify and make changes in unhealthy behaviors or thoughts, explore relationships and experiences, find better ways to cope and solve problems, and set realistic goals. Psychotherapy can help your teen regain a sense of happiness and control and help ease depression symptoms such as hopelessness and anger. It may also help your teen adjust to a crisis or other current difficulty. Treatments: In some teens, depression is so severe that a hospital stay is needed, especially if your teen is in danger of self-harm or hurting someone else. Getting psychiatric treatment at a hospital can help keep your teen calm and safe until symptoms are better managed. Day treatment programs also may help. These programs provide the support and counseling needed while your teen gets depression symptoms under control. If there are no health problems that are causing teenager’s depression, ask a doctor to refer a psychologist or psychiatrist who specializes in children and adolescents. Depression in teens can be tricky, particularly when it comes to treatment options such as medication. A mental health professional with advanced training and a strong background treating adolescents is the best bet for teenager’s best care. When choosing a specialist, always get the child’s input. Teenagers are dependent on parents for making many of their health decisions, so listen to what they’re saying. No one therapist is a miracle worker, and no one treatment works for everyone. If the child feels uncomfortable or is just not ’connecting’ with the psychologist or psychiatrist, ask for a referral to another provider that may be better suited to the teenager. Don’t rely on medication alone Talk therapy is often a good initial treatment for mild to moderate cases of depression. Over the course of therapy, teen’s depression may resolve. If it doesn’t, medication may be warranted. However, antidepressants should only be used as part of a broader treatment plan. Unfortunately, some parents feel pushed into choosing antidepressant medication over other treatments that may be cost-prohibitive or time-intensive. However, unless the child is considered to be high risk for suicide (in which case medication and/or constant observation may be necessary), have time to carefully weigh the options before committing to any one treatment.