Teenage Depression  

Depression is a term that often gets associated with individuals having little or no interest in doing even daily activities.  In psychological terms, “depression” can be defined as a condition where an individual suffers with abnormally severe emotions and behaviors such as sadness, disinterest, helplessness and other related feelings including fear, anxiety, irritation, anger, guilt, and apathy. At present, depression is one of the most commonly occurring psychological disorders affecting more than 17 million people worldwide.  Among this group, major percentages are adolescents, teenagers and young adults. In fact, teenage depression is one of the leading causes of teen-related problems such as drug abuse, hatred, teenage crimes, homicides and suicides.  

Symptoms of Teenage Depression:  

An interesting point that one must remember about depression is that the symptoms are similar irrespective of the form of depression.  Some important signs of teenage depression include anxiety, fatigue, irrelevant mood shifts, irritability, anger, increased sadness or despair, restlessness, lack of enthusiasm or interest in any aspect of life, sleep disorders, inability to concentrate for long durations and changes in eating habits.  Also, depressed teens tend to unreasonably complain about physical ailments, have an extremely low self-esteem, are extremely sensitive to criticisms and tend to refrain from social life.  Ironically, some of these symptoms tend to appear in children and adolescents, a condition that is referred to as childhood depression.  

Teenage Depression Causes:  

Depending on the severity of symptoms, there are various types of depression. Some of them include major depression, manic or bipolar depression and dysthamia.  Some of their causes are listed below:  

1. Neurological changes that happen inside the brain as a result of decreased levels of neurotransmitters.  
2. Stressful situations that one might encounter at home, school or surroundings. 
3. Any traumatic event happening in life such as the death of a loved one, or divorce.  
4. Teenage depression can also result when a teenager tends to suffer from a chronic illness.  

Teenagers and adolescents are extremely vulnerable to symptoms of depression. In fact, teenage depression can damage the entire personality and result in an overwhelming feeling of sadness, despair and hopelessness, thereby causing a tremendous loss of self-confidence and a sense of hopelessness in life. Fortunately, it is possible to treat all the existing types of depression. However, only a small percentage of depressed teens seek professional advice. As a concerned parent, teacher or a friend, it becomes your added responsibility to locate the symptoms and causes associated with various types of teenage and childhood depression and get them treated with immediate effect.