Teen Depression

Young children especially teenagers can develop depression. Depression in adolescents is not always easy to spot.

Teen depression hides in symptoms such as; eating disorders, learning disabilities, acting out, becoming reclusive or experimenting with drugs or alcohol.

Over 5% of teenagers kill themselves every year. The cause of the suicides can be linked back to depression.

Peer pressure, parental pressure, the search for perfection to be momma’s perfect little girl, to be the prettiest, the smartest the most popular in the school can all lead to depression.   Being obese or skinny, unable to excel academically or physically, being the victim of sexual abuse, becoming pregnant can lead many teenagers quickly into depression.

For young girls their first experience with menstrual blues and hormone activity can sink them into a cyclic depression. This depression is known as PMS (premenstrual syndrome).

Depression is common in teenagers with parents abuse substances.

Eating disorders are common among teen girls. Taking control of what you eat, or what you don’t, when your own life is out of control creates a dangerous form of false security.

One woman that I spoke with admitted that when she was growing up and her parents would develop a “stony silence” in the house, she would drive to the fast-food restaurant down the street, order four large hamburgers, two large orders of fries, three apple pies, a soda and a chocolate shake.

Then, she would drive around to the back of an abandoned gas station nearby, park and gulp down all the food.

She shamefully admits today, that she never even tasted what she was eating. She dumped the trash (evidence) in a dumpster then drove home.

Once she arrived home, she went to the bathroom, turned on the water in the shower and the sink, wet her finger and purged.

She later paid dearly for her actions as she matured. The stomach acid eventually ate away her esophagus. Extensive surgery was needed to repair the damage. She was tube-fed for several months after surgery as she “healed.”

Some teenagers suffer from low self-esteem which can cause depression. Others act out in various ways, while teens suffering from manic depression will  hurt themselves by burning or cutting their skin in unexposed areas.

Medical treatment is available. If you know someone with any of the above symptoms, intervene now and save a life from dealing with lifelong bouts of major depression.