Teens & Depression

​Depression is a serious problem today and one of the nation’s leading killers of teenaged boys when the number of cases of suicide it generates are factored into the equation.

While every teenaged boy experiences a few moments of sadness in their life, if a young boy remains depressed for days, weeks or longer, it can be a sign that professional help is needed. It is not uncommon for through life changing events or certain stress events to make a teen feel sad at times. When the sadness goes on unabated for months, it can be a sign of clinical depression. Depression is a serious problem and one of the nation’s leading teen killers when you consider the number of cases of suicide it generates each year.

Unfortunately, it is estimated that nearly 80 percent of the teens who do suffer from depression never seek any professional treatment. Due to the seriousness of the depression problem for American teenaged boys, it is critically important that those suffering from the problem take an active role in addressing it. If the person with the depressive symptoms is just too overwhelmed to seek help themselves, their family and friends need to make sure they have access to treatment. However, since many depressed teen boys are so often in denial about their condition, they might not even feel the need to seek professional treatment for depression. In those instances, it may take a depression evaluation in order to convince a sufferer to seek the treatment they need.

A simple depression test is one way to help determine whether or not someone is actually experiencing the symptoms of clinical depression and the test could also indicate if you or your loved one should actively be seeking professional medical treatment for it. Once depression has been professionally diagnosed, there are a variety of treatment options available with counseling and therapy being the typical starting points. Although some people can become depressed due to their life experiences, most of the time there are also underlying emotional issues that compound the problem. When counseling and therapy fail to address a depression, anti-depressant medications will be prescribed to at least help alleviate many of the symptoms. In cases where the family, parents or the depressed teenager cannot afford to pay for professional help, there are many mental health assistance programs and fee counseling and support groups available at the state and local levels of government. In almost all cases, those needing financial assistance with a depression can get help from a local government agency or community-based school or church programs that will subsidize the cost of treatment to ensure every patient who needs it can get the proper help.

Quick Depression Test:

Have you felt unhappy, sad or hopeless on a frequent basis, or constantly for more than a week?

Are you experiencing a distinct lack of interest in the activities that used to make you happy?

Are you having problems getting to sleep, or are sleeping too much?

Have you noticed that you feel sluggish and have very little energy and enthusiasm for life?

Has your appetite changed dramatically to the point that you feel like you have no appetite at all, or that you can’t stop overeating when you do start?

Are you experiencing feelings of failure or personal worthlessness?

Are you have trouble concentrating while at work, or when reading and watching television at home?

Have you experienced thoughts that you might not want to go on living and might be better off dead, or have desires to hurt yourself in some way?

If you answered yes to any of the above symptoms and they have persist for several days or more, it is time to consult a professional therapist or counselor about your condition immediately. Remember that depression is a very common problem in the U.S. these days regardless of your age or sex. Thankfully, it is fairly easy to find help and get the treatment to turn things around, but you won’t get better until you are able to recognize that you do have a problem.