Clinical depression is more than sadness. It’s a mental illness, and professional treatment is necessary. It’s nothing to be ashamed of—1 in 4 adults will have a diagnosable mental illness at some point in their life—but it’s difficult to change or improve without real treatment.
Situational vs. Biological Depression
Situational depression is triggered by the events of your life. This might be the loss of a loved one, a traumatic event, or ongoing struggles with family or friends. Depression caused by a situation is no less real and can require professional treatment to get better.
Biological depression occurs without any specific cause and is generally due to brain chemicals or hormones that are out of balance.
Think of it like asthma. We all know that asthma attacks may be triggered by something in the environment (such as allergens from plants and pets) but they can also occur due to the internal conditions of one’s own body. Either way, an asthma sufferer should seek immediate treatment for the attack. Depression is no different.
Suicidal Warning Signs
How can you tell if someone you know might be thinking about hurting themselves or even committing suicide? Look for one or more of these signs:
Talking or joking about committing suicide
Speaking in finalities, saying things like, “I’d be better off dead,” “I wish I could disappear forever,” or “There’s no way out.”
Speaking positively about death or romanticizing dying (“If I died, people might love me more.”)
Writing stories and poems about death, dying or suicide
Engaging in reckless behavior or having a lot of accidents resulting in injuries
Giving away prized possessions
Saying goodbye to friends and family as if for good
Seeking out weapons, pills or other ways to kill themselves
Even a sudden calmness from someone who has been excessively upset can be a warning sign if it happens without a clear reason
If someone you know threatens suicide or shows signs of suicidal thoughts, contact a suicide help line immediately.
Teen years can be difficult for both parents and children. Teens are under pressure to fit in, succeed in school, get along with family and make important life decisions. Most of these stresses are unavoidable, and worrying about them is natural. But when someone feels extremely sad, hopeless, worthless, angry or restless, they may be experiencing symptoms of depression. Clinical depression is more than sadness. It’s a mental illness, and professional treatment is necessary.
Stressful life events – particularly loss of a parent to death or divorce
Friendship problems – having few friends or few close friends
Family problems
Abuse
Being extremely emotional
Negative thinking – teens who often have negative thoughts and blame themselves when bad things happen
Social problems – like homelessness
Chronic illness
Family history of depression – teens with a close family member with depression are twice as likely to get depressed
Having another disorder – teens are more likely to get depressed if they are disabled or have another problem such as anxiety, eating disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, Asperger’s syndrome and other learning problems. 50%-80% of depressed teenagers have another disorder.
Drug abuse
Being a girl – depression affects twice as many teenage girls as boys
In the aftermath of her grandmother’s death, Tiana feels numb. She no longer cares about dance class, an activity she once treasured. She doesn’t eat much, and has little interest in talking on the phone or spending time with friends. She thinks about death a lot, wondering what happens after someone dies.
kNOw the Signs
Teen depression is often a response to specific situations and stresses or a reaction to a disturbing event such as the death of a friend or relative or a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Adolescent girls are twice as likely as boys to experience depression. Tiana’s mom noticed the change in her daughter and together they got Tiana the help she needed.
Tiana’s signs of depression:
Withdrawal from friends and activities
Persistent sadness and hopelessness
Change in eating habits
Obsession with death – suicidal thoughts or fears about death and dying
Meet Matt
Matt is a teen trying to keep up, but is overwhelmed by the pressure to excel in school and sports. His grades are slipping and he becomes angry when his parents ask about his report card. He is awake in the middle of the night and can’t seem to focus during the day. He never plays his guitar anymore and doesn’t care about spending time with friends.
kNOw the Signs
Depression can destroy the very essence of a teenager’s personality, causing an overwhelming sense of sadness, despair or anger. Extreme stress from the pressure to excel as an athlete or have good grades can trigger depression in some people.
Matt’s signs of depression
Poor performance in school
Anger and rage
Overreaction to criticism
Insomnia
Feelings of being unable to satisfy ideals
Indecision, lack of concentration or forgetfulness
Restlessness or agitation
Meet Erica
Erica has little interest in anything. She spends most of her time sleeping. She doesn’t care about friends, family or school, and abruptly ends her relationship with her boyfriend. She resorts to stealing and using alcohol and drugs to feel better for a while and avoid dealing with her problems.
kNOw the Signs
Long-term depressive illness usually begins in the teen or young adult years. Approximately 15%-20% of American teens have experienced a serious episode of depression. Many people with depression, anxiety or other illnesses resort to abusing drugs and alcohol as a means of self-medicating. This only masks the underlying problem.
Erica’s signs of depression
Lack of enthusiasm, energy or motivation
Problems with authority
Excessive sleeping
Criminal behavior
Substance abuse
Situational and Biological Depression
In the cases of Tiana and Matt, outside influences and life events have probably triggered their depression. Tiana is distraught over the loss of her grandmother and Matt is struggling with the expectations placed on him by his friends and family. When the onset of depression can be attributed to a specific event or influence, this is called Situational Depression.
In Erica’s case, her symptoms seemed to occur out of the blue without any specific cause. This is known as Biological Depression and is generally due to brain chemicals or hormones that are out of balance.
Think of it like asthma. We all know that asthma attacks may be triggered by something in the environment (such as allergens from plants and pets) but they can also occur without reason. Either way, you seek immediate treatment for the attack. Depression is no different.
Suicide Warning Signs
Talking or joking about committing suicide
Saying things like, “I’d be better off dead,” “I wish I could disappear forever,” or “There’s no way out.”
Speaking positively about death or romanticizing dying (“If I died, people might love me more.”)
Writing stories and poems about death, dying or suicide
Engaging in reckless behavior or having a lot of accidents resulting in injury
Giving away prized possessions
Saying goodbye to friends and family as if for good
Seeking out weapons, pills or other ways to kill themselves
If a teenager you know threatens suicide or shows signs of suicidal thoughts, contact a suicide help line immediately.
800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
877-YOUTHLINE (968-8454)
800-273-TALK (8255)
Source: National Institutes of Health, teendepression.org, Johns Hopkins
Tips for Parents
The parents of Tiana, Matt and Erica have their own stories to share.
They were troubled by the behavior in their teens and confused about seeking treatment. Watch their stories and see if you can think of ways to engage your teen in a healthy conversation about depression.
kNOw the Signs
Adolescence can be a difficult time with so many physical, emotional, psychological and social changes that accompany this stage of life. It is important to know the difference between being depressed and being a teenager. Consider how long the symptoms have been present, how severe they are and how different the teen is acting from his or her usual self. Dramatic, long-lasting changes in personality, mood or behavior are red flags of a deeper problem.
kNOw the Effects
If untreated, depression in teens can be severe, leading to problems in school, loss of friends, family conflict, alcohol and drug abuse, violence or even suicide. There is good news though: teens are incredibly resilient. With intervention and proper treatment, teens can work through their depression and become happy and healthy again. You can make all the difference.
Topics for Group Discussion
How do you know if your child is clinically depressed or just a moody teenager?
How would you start a conversation with a teen who may be depressed?
