Teenage Depression
Let me clear in saying that not all teenage depression needs to be treated with drugs and/or therapy. Teenage depression is a common side effect of puberty and we all go through it. However, sometimes, it is more serious than that and it is actually depression. There are two kinds of depression that are common for many teens: The sad kind, called major depression, dysthymia or reactive depression, and manic-depression or bipolar illness, when you are feeling down and depressed alternates with being speeded-up and sometimes acting reckless. If you have had several of these symptoms, and they've lasted several weeks, or cause a big change in your routine, you should talk to someone who can help, like a psychologist, or your school counselor. When you are depressed: You feel sad or cry a lot and it doesn't go away; You feel guilty for no real reason; you feel like you're no good; you've lost your confidence; Life seems meaningless or like nothing good is ever going to happen again; You have a negative attitude a lot of the time, or it seems like you have no feelings; You don't feel like doing a lot of the things you used to like-- like music, sports, being with friends, going out, and you want to be left alone most of the time; It's hard to make up your mind; You forget lots of things, and it's hard to concentrate; You get irritated