Apr. 6--The teen years are hard. There's the school work and pressure to get into a good college. There are problems with friends, parents and boyfriends/girlfriends. And all the while, hormones are raging and feelings of doubt and insecurity are a constant.
It's no wonder teens get down sometimes. But sometimes it's more than just feeling blue or a temporary slump. It could be depression.
Nancy Nelson, a counselor at Benton High School, says there are two types of depression. One is situational depression, brought on by a stressful event. This could be breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend or losing a friend or loved one, either to death or them moving away. Situational depression tends to get better once the teen has been able to deal with the issue.
"Usually a person is able to cope with that situation and get some distance from it," Ms. Nelson says. "Their emotions and ability to deal with life will improve."
The other kind of depression is medical depression.
"The person who is diagnosed with the medical condition of depression... is usually dealing with a different set of problems," she says, "because that person is maybe dealing down all the time and there's no specific reason. There may be a biochemical reasons."
Shirley Taylor, a psychologist at Heartland Counseling Services, says signs of depression can include irritability, a drop in grades, lack of interest in things that used to interest and self-destructive behaviors, such as cutting or turning to drinking and drugs.
Jeanie Benitz, a counselor at Lafayette High School, says another sign of depression is withdrawal from friends and family, or even the classroom.
"They kind of pull away from their friends and they tend to be more quiet," she says.
There are several ways teens can fight depression on their own. The Web site www.teenhealth.org recommends trying these things:
--exercise
--good nutrition
--identify troubles, but don't dwell on them
--express yourself, using journals, art or music
--look on the bright side, try to find the positive in things
If teens try these things and find they are still depressed, Ms. Nelson recommends they seek professional help. Making that decision varies from person to person, says Ms. Benitz, but if depression persists, teens need to get help.
"It's going to be different for every individual," she says, "but when they feel helpless, when they feel that it's out of their control, that would be the time to go speak to somebody and see if they can get some help."
Lifestyles reporter Lacey Storer can be reached at lstorer@npgco.com
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