Many people believe today that teenagers lack respect for authority, lack respect for school, and even lack respect for family. For the most part they are looked down on by society as being disobedient trouble-makers. Being a teenager isn’t an easy task. They’re constantly being exposed to new, scary situations, and it’s hard for any teenager to overcome one of these obstacles because of how they are looked at by other people, and one of the biggest problems a teenager has to face is depression.

About 5% of teenagers suffer from severe depression. More often than not they have a very hard home life usually consisting of depressed parents or abusive siblings. Teens who are under a lot of stress, or suffer from anxiety and learning problems, are at higher risk for depression. Highschool is the leading cause of stress in a teenagers life, and parents need to take that into consideration. Instead of making your kids do homework you need to help your kids do homework. Another thing teenagers are exposed to is drinking and drug usage. If you catch your kid drinking alcohol or smoking pot there are many things you can do besides yelling at them and grounding them. Try to explain to them what happens when people drink and drive. Talk to them about your life experiences with drinking and drugs. Or you can even negotiate with them and tell them they can drink if they do it within the household. Anything is better than just yelling at them and leaving them alone, because chances are they will go out and do it again. Drinking is a sign that your teenager may be depressed, so you also need to realize yelling at them will not solve the problem. There are also many other signs to watch for if your teenager is suffering from depression:

Sudden loss of interest in doing activities they once enjoyed
Little to no energy. Sleeps a lot
Increased anger and hostility
Self-Injury, which may lead to suicide attempts
Poor concentration in home or at school
Persistent boredom

You’re probably wondering what you should do if your teenager is depressed. The first step is to seek professional help. You might think because your the parent it would be best for you to help your child out, but the truth is you need to find real professionals to help your teenager through their depression. Unless you’re a certified therapist, I wouldn’t recommend you taking the responsibility to help your kid’s depression. You can support your child, and talk to them frequently, but don’t try to cure them. Also be aware of the many types of medicines out on the market for depression. If a therapist suggests a certain type of pill for your teenager, look it up on the internet and find out all of the information you can on the medicine. There are many types of pills that have very bad side effects, and you as the parent need to make sure what you think is appropiate for your child. Remember, the therapist only suggests these pills, you need to make sure if it’s the best route to take. Also keep in mind that if your kid suffers from any kind of medical disorder, you let your therapist know before your teenager takes any kind of medicine, and let your doctor know what the therapist is wanting to prescribe them.

Before I bring this article to a close I’d just like to give my final thoughts. Teenagers are people just like anyone else, and they’re dealt many hard cards in life. You were a teenager once, so you should know what it’s like. It’s one of the hardest parts of your life. If you give your child the love and care that they need, they can get through their depression and make it out of highschool just fine. Punishment is something you should do while the child is young, once they become adolescent you need to start talking to them more about personal things and helping them along the way, not punishing them. There are more good teenagers out there than bad, people just don’t pay enough attention to find out. The problem with the world isn’t teenagers, it’s the people who aren’t giving teenagers the chance they deserve who are the problem.

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Winter has always been a difficult time for me in Michigan, with its many gray days, and not much sunlight. I awoke, feeling heavy, sluggish, and still exhausted. I wanted to pull the covers back over my head and return to my secure sleep state. I sensed something was wrong but really didn't seem to care what it was. I knew I did not want to face another grueling day, outside the world of sleep. I felt scared, but didn't know why. I dragged myself, out of bed, and into the bathroom. I could not decide whether I wanted to shave or shower first, then I made that extremely difficult decision to shower. Typical thoughts that would run through my head every morning, would I ever get over this feeling? Why was I feeling like this all the time? Maybe this is normal and I will eventually get over it?

Finally, I was fully awake small tasks seemed monumental, drudgery and overwhelming but I pushed on. I started my day by looking for faults in everything but myself. I was very short tempered with those closest to me and I didn't even realize it, then out the door to work I go. The rest of the day, at work, I felt numb people were talking to me, asking questions, but nothing was getting thru. On the outside I put up a great front so no one could see, but I was trapped inside a deep dark world, a personal hell.

I was forgetting things very easily, even if I wrote them down. Organization, no matter how I organized things, didn't seem to matter, because I was depressed and felt hazy. I couldn’t decide exactly what to start on because it all seemed overwhelming. When I did start something it was like climbing a mountain and I couldn't see the top. Sometimes I felt a sinking feeling or a sense of little hope for anything. I felt like no one knew what I was going through or could help me. I would easily get angry and irritated at everything and everyone. There were times of Panic/Anxiety attacks in the middle of the night, those were not fun.

My typical day was like that movie "Ground Hog Day" with Bill Murray where he had to keep repeating the same day over and over till he got it right. What I found out later was that somewhere, I allowed myself to tumble into a state of depression and had not realized it or even truly acknowledged it. When I did finally acknowledge I was depressed and needed to do something it took me along time to find the right solutions by trial and error. The only person that can drag you out of depression is you, but I have to tell you the big secret to my success was the pharmaceutical grade St. Johns Wort that I took for about 6 months. If you need to know more about what I was taking come to my forum I go into more detail there.

Now I am doing great, I have focus, drive, energy and care what happens to myself and others. I jump out of bed, can't wait to face all of the issues at hand (They are issues now, before they were monumental problems). I don't have the emotional tendencies that I had before. I am by no means walking around with "rose colored glasses", but more like a clear view now without the numb hazy feeling.

Depression is an emotionally draining journey that many will go through in their lifetime, but depression does not have to rule your life there is plenty of help available. Answers and treatments will vary from person to person what works for one person may not work for another. Allowing the state of depression to control you and be the norm will negatively affect you and others. Depression drags you down to depths that you feel you don’t have the energy to accomplish anything or even beat depression itself, a vicious cycle. Depression appears to cause many physical illness's that can be over come with treatment. It’s time now, for you to pull out of the emotional numbness and rollercoaster that you step on to, but can’t remember where.

Being able to feel normal and handle life is your right. When people look at others that are cool and calm they appear to have everything under control that might not be the case, because many of us can put of a really good front. Putting up a good front is ok for a while, but you need to address the disorders. "Depression slowly erodes your will and breaks down any attempt at your happiness for a normal life this is not what anyone wants.

Finally, I want all of you to know that depressed people are highly intelligent, loving and sensitive people that have a lot to contribute to the world, but they need to realize that they are depressed, admit it and find a solution.


- Thomas Fullerton


http://www.toolsfordepression.com/phpBB2

What do you do when you someone you know has to deal with persistent fears and anxieties or even depression? Well the first thing you need to do is to get the person to seek the services of a professional and/or counselor who can lead them in the right direction and give them the help they need. In the meantime, here are some other things you can do to help the person cope.

Learn as much as you can in managing fears, anxieties and depression. There are many books and information that will educate on how to deal with fear and anxiety. Share this information with the person who is struggling. Education is the key in finding the answers your looking for in managing your fears.

Be understanding and patient with the person struggling with their fears. Dealing with depression and anxiety can be difficult for the person so don’t add more problems than what is already there.

As for the person dealing with the anxiety, he or she must realize that managing anxiety and fear takes practice. So when experiencing an anxiety related situation, begin to learn what works, what doesn’t work, and what you need to improve on in managing your fears and anxieties. As you do this, you will become better in dealing with your anxieties.

Don’t forget to Pray and ask God for help. A person can only do so much. Asking God for help can give us additional resources to help manage our fears and anxieties. It is not always easy, however God is in control and he will help you if you ask him.

Another thing to remember is that things change and events do not stay the same. For instance, you may feel overwhelmed in the mornings with your anxiety and feel that this is how you will feel the rest of the day. This isn’t correct. No one can predict the future with 100 Percent accuracy. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. You never know when the help and answers you are looking for will come to you.

As a Layman, I realize it is not easy to deal with all of our fears. When your fears and anxieties have the best of you, seek help from a professional. The key is to be patient, take it slow, and not to give up. In time, you will be able to find those resources that will help you with your problems.

Everyone has days when they are down, worn out and just not feeling all that happy.

That's OK, you need to have days like this, otherwise how would you know when you are happy. You need to have something to contrast your happiness with. What is black without white?

Even though you know that sadness is a part of life, let's try to make it a small part of life.

With that said, here are a few tips to help you feel better when you are feeling down in the dumps. They are easy to do, easy to practice every day and they work!

1. Stand up straight, sit up straight. When your body is in alignment your energy can flow and when your energy is flowing freely, you can flow.

2. Smile! Yes, just smile. Easy to do and effective.

3. Repeat positive affirmations. Things like "I feel good", "Positive energy flows through my body", "I see the good in all".

4. Listen to some music that you like. It doesn't have to be anything specific, just something you enjoy. Certain types of music work better than others, but experiment and see what works for you. Studies have shown that Classical music and new age music work best.

5. Take some time out for yourself, relax and read a book, do something for yourself.

6. Meditate. Meditation is an excellent habit to develop. It will serve you in all that you do. If you are one who has a hard time sitting still, then try some special meditation CDs that coax your brain into the meditative state. Just search for "Meditation music" on Google or Yahoo and explore.

Our outside work is simply a reflection of our inside world. Remember there is no reality just your perception of it. Use this truth to your advantage. Whenever you are sad, realize that it is all in your mind and you do have the power to change your perception.

These tips will lift you up when you are down, but don't just use them when you are sad. Try and practice them everyday, make them a habit. You will be surprised at how these simple exercises will keep the rainy days away.

On a final note, if you are in a deep depression that you can't seem to shake, please go see a doctor. This is your life and don't take any chances.

Studies have shown that about 20 million Americans receive some form of depression treatment on an annual basis. Twenty Million Americans! Considering how grave an illness depression is, this is a rather worrisome number. As a result recognizing the symptoms of depression as a step for depression treatment may perhaps be the first move to make.

Like any other illness, depression, characterized by insomnia, mood swings, frustration and loss of appetite amongst other things, is a disorder that starts little but left unattended to can increase in intensity. Thus all efforts should be made to attend to the symptoms of depression and for best results; this should be in its beginning stages.

Now, the symptoms of depression may be caused or aggravated by other diseases (for example, in my case it was years and years of acne and asthma as a teen and adult), stress, use of drugs, Improper diet, Loss of a job or loved ones. The list is endless friends. However, as a famous writer once said, in regards to depression here is one helpful thing to remember: "Life's problems are like knives, which either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle: Grasp a difficulty or problem by the blade and it cuts; grasp it by the handle and you can use it constructively"

In order to not allow depression to take over your present situation and consequently hinder you from overcoming it, below are its symptoms in no specific order.

Symptoms of Depression:

1. Irritability and mood swings.
2. Hopelessness and extreme pessimism (a negative outlook on life)
3. Loss of energy, extreme fatigue and tiredness.
4. Loss of interest in hobbies, having a good appearance and even associates and loved ones.
5. Extreme feelings of helplessness and no self worth.
6. Suicidal thoughts (in extreme cases)
7. Insomnia (lack of) or excessive sleep.
8. Inexplicable weight loss or gain thereof, triggered by eating disorders.

Though not a conclusive list as characteristics vary by patient, these symptoms of depression listed above are the most common ones. If you happen to experience any of these symptoms, the first step, in my opinion and based on research will be to look within and ask why this may be occurring. Thoroughly assess your situation to see what it is that could be triggering these symptoms of depression within you. Could it be a failure at something or the loss of something or someone of importance?

If you go over the problem carefully, you would be able to target the cause and consequently solve it. Remember, the mind is the most powerful force on the earth, He who can control it can control all things my friend.

You will notice that I have made little or no mention of drugs or members of the medical fraternity. That is simply because I believe a drug-free alternative of treating depression and its symptoms will be the safest route to go. What with all the side effects of popular depression medications, why aggravate an already disturbed health with such unwanted side effects as nausea, weight gain and even sexual dysfunctions as reported in some cases.

With a drug-free approach of Positive Thinking, a carefully selected diet (yes, it matters friend) and some form of physical exercise-my personal recommendation being Yoga-you can tackle the symptoms of depression at any stage and empower yourself to lead a healthier and happier life.

Other things you can add to these three limbs are to take time to relax more, enjoy your favorite music (remember David playing for Saul in the Bible, yes music is soothing for depression friend), seek uplifting entertainment, read more self-help books, Heck, if you’re of a Christian background go to Psalms 23 or 91…they help. Seek out the company of those you know make you laugh. Or if need be, let out a good cry (don’t abuse it and you are not weak if you do, it’s part of being human.), clear the mind and empower yourself (if need be with positive affirmations repeated mentally or aloud) and tackle your problems because YOU CAN DO IT!

May Happiness be yours.

Beat the Symptoms of Your depression starting today.