What is depression?

We all feel down sometimes. Things aren’t going well in some area of our lives and it upsets us or puts us in a bad mood. But Depression is different. While feeling down only lasts for a short while, depression affects you for at least two weeks and can extend for far longer. Depression is a serious medical condition that affects your behaviour, your thinking, your emotions and physical health over time. Depression can affect you at any age and can lead to self-harm or suicide.

When we hear the word mental health, many of us thing of mental illness. But the two are very different.                                                                                                                                                                      

Mental health has to do with all aspects of our lives including:

• How we feel about ourselves.
• How we feel about others.
• How we are able to meet the demands of our everyday lives.

What are some of the causes of depression?

The life of the average teenager is a lot more stressful that it used to be. Feeling under pressure to be liked, to do well in school, to look good, to get along with family and make important life decisions, all affect our mental wellbeing and may cause some young people to become depressed.

How would you know if your best friend was depressed

I don’t just mean a little bit down because they weren’t allowed stay out late on a Friday night. But seriously down all the time. Maybe they cry and look sad. Maybe they don’t.

The important thing to note about depression is that it can show itself in many different ways. Here are just some of them.

• Changes in sleeping habits or constant tiredness.
• They may be angry or crabby all the time.
• Feeling that nothing is worth the effort or that they just couldn’t be bothered.
• Putting themselves down or not bothering about their appearance.
• Drinking or taking drugs.
• Not being able to handle things that are normally no problem to them.
• They might talk about running away or even ending it all.

What all these things have in common is that there is a change in the person and it’s not a change that makes them happy.

What can teenagers do to help themselves if they begin to feel depressed?

It’s a fact that teenage moodiness is a normal part of growing up and this in part is caused by hormonal changes that cause moods to fluctuate. However some teenagers can become depressed beyond normal moodiness and need help to get past these feelings. Some people thing that talking about sad feelings will make them worse but the opposite is almost always true. It is very helpful to share your worries with someone you trust who will listen and who cares.

What can you do to help a friend who may be feeling depressed?

Someone who is feeling really down can lose friends because they’re not fun to be around anymore. If you’re a real friend stick around and look out for them. Listen to them and encourage them to get some help. If your friend talks about suicide do not consider it a betrayal to tell a responsible adult. Your friend needs your help, and you would rather have a friend who is temporarily angry at you than one who is no longer alive.

No matter how you may be feeling, remember that there is always someone there who can help. Adults struggle with this. You shouldn’t go through it alone.

Here are some useful telephone numbers and websites where you can get help.

Aware:
Offers great info and anonymous support for people suffering from depression.
Tel: 1890 303 302.
Web: www.aware.ie

TeenLine:                                                                                                                                                              
Tel: 1800 833 634                                                                                                                                        
(Wed 3pm-6pm; Thurs, Fri, Sat 9pm-12midnight)

Samaritans:
Telephone listening service, totally confidential, covering any subject of concern you may
have. 24 hour emotional support.
Tel: 1859 60 90 90.
Email: jo@samaritans.org 
Web: www.samaritans.org