Why did I choose to talk about depression? Well, that’s because, I noticed that half of our teens are depressed. But before we go into that, what is depression?
Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affect how you act. There are different types of depression but the most common one is “Clinical Depression”. What is clinical depression? Clinical depression is a mental health disorder characterised by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities. According to my research, it is very common in Nigeria, with more than 1.5 million cases per year.
Depression is a common illness worldwide, with more than 264 million people affected. Depression is different from usual mood fluctuations and short lived emotional responses to challenge in everyday life. It can cause the affected person to suffer greatly at work, at school and in the family. Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. More women are affected than men. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Close to 800, 000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 – 29 years old.
The symptoms of depression range from mild to severe. At its mildest, you may simply feel persistently low in spirit, while severe depression can make you feel suicidal, that life is no longer worth living. They range from lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness, to losing interest in things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety. Most people go through periods of feeling down, but when you’re depressed you feel persistently sad for weeks or months, rather than just few days.
Some people think depression is trivial and not a genuine health condition. They’re wrong – it is a real illness with real symptoms. Depression is not a sign of weakness or something you can ‘’snap out of’’ by “pulling yourself together”. But do not be scared, there are treatments for it.
There are physical symptoms of depression such as, feeling sad or having a depressed mood. Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed. Changes in appetite – weight loss, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, loss of energy or increased fatigue, feeling worthless or guilty, thoughts of suicide, etc.
Over to teen depression. Many teens are suffering from this. Some may know and some may not. There are multiple reasons why a teenager might become depressed. For example, teen can develop feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy over their grades. School performances, social status with peers, or family life each can have a major effect on how a teen feels. Sometimes, teen depression may result from environmental stress. A family history of depression, life stresses such as losing a parent, divorce, or discrimination, and other physical or psychological problems can all contribute to the illness. Children, who have been abused, neglected, have experienced other traumas, or suffer from chronic illness are also at a higher risk for depression. Depression in teens/children often occurs along with other mental problem such as anxiety and bipolar or disruptive behaviour disorder.
Teen depression is much more than feeling temporarily sad or down in the dumps. It is a serious and debilitating mood disorder that can change the way you think, feel and function in your daily life, causing problems at home, school, and in your social life. Yes, the teenage years can be really tough and it’s perfectly normal to feel sad or irritable every now and then. But if these feelings don’t go away or become so intense that you feel overwhelmingly hopeless and helpless, you may be suffering from depression. This is another reason why parents should make out time for their kids. Try to show them that they are not alone in this. Because, once in a while, life throws stuffs at them and of course they’ll need someone to tell it to, someone to advise them. Having someone to tell it to, helps ease it off their chest. If you as a parent is very free with them, if you can communicate very well and if you have a good parental relationship, then I don’t think there will be any need for that child to be depressed. Over thinking turns someone depressed too. So, please try to make time and build a strong parental relationship between you and your child/children. Depression kills.
Other symptoms of teen depression are, having frequent unexplained headaches, or physical pains and problems. Anything and everything makes you cry. You’re extremely sensitive to criticism. You’ve turned to alcohol or drugs to just try to change the way you feel. You’re having trouble concentrating, thinking straight or remembering things. Your grades may be plummeting because of it and most of all, you’re thinking about death or suicide. If you ever feel this way, please talk to someone right away
As a parent too, I advice you try to observe your child properly. Some children are not used to opening up and trust me, some of them have things eating them up. They are just quiet because they feel that if they explain, you won’t understand. Some are quiet because, they don’t understand themselves either. So please help our teens.
While it isn’t always easy to differentiate from normal teenage growing pains, teen depression is a serious health problem that goes beyond moodiness. As a parent, your love, guidance, and support can go a long way toward helping your teens avoid and overcome depression and get their life back on track. Make time for your kids, make them happy, Make them your best friend. That’s all there is to it.
My advice to all the depressed kids out there is to try as hard as you can to get away from it. You’re not in this alone and you can overcome it. Hang out with positive people. Do not stay alone. Try thinking less. Find your happiness and tell someone about your feelings or better still, write it down to just clear your head and mind. Say No to depression. Say No to suicidal thoughts.
Akwu is a student in Port Harcourt.