Depression is a disorder that affects a person behind the scenes and eventually ends up swaying the individual. It can start from just an anxious thought and can also result in suicide. Up to 15% of people with affective disorders like depression, commit suicide. Depression is something that can affect a person in his/her everyday life.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), depression is the second biggest cause of disability in the world. However, only 10% of them receive proper treatment. It is very important to be treated—as in case of no treatment and diagnosis, it is recorded that 40% of those who suffered from depression may again get depressed after a year.
Everyone in their lifetime for some point of time felt helpless and hopeless, sad, anxious, lost and broken, but it all matters how soon they are able to cope up with their mental thoughts. It could be very hard for an individual to face his/her problem, but mentally, it is more important to stay positive and strong. Still, if someone is not able to recover from ill thoughts and is feeling sad and anxious for two weeks straight, it is important not to ignore it and look for treatment or therapy.
Also, there is a difference between feeling depressed and being depressed. Everyone feels depressed at some point in life. If one does not score well in a class test, they might feel depressed, and that is completely normal. However, for some other 15 million, that’s not the case. Those who can’t get over depression themselves result in being clinically depressed. When people frequently curse themselves for doing something which they must not have done or think about past mistakes, it leads to hyper-intensive thoughts.
Symptoms Of Depression
- Sadness and feeling empty
- Daily headaches and loss of energy
- Frustration
- Loss of interest in studies and hobbies
- Absent-mindedness and slowed thinking
- Getting hyped
- Anxiety and hopelessness
- Change in sleep and eating behavior
- Inability to make decisions
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Frequent thoughts of suicide
Some Other Causes Of Depression In Teenagers
- Sexual or physical abuse and bullying
- If there is a mental illness in the family, children can be affected too
- Some parts of brain underdeveloped, while other parts being overdeveloped
- Poor school performance
- Anxious about body image and body shaming
Depression is something which is very hard to see with naked eyes, maybe the happiest person you can think of right now might be depressed too.
This is where social media dives in. Most teenagers today are on social media, and they love to share their pictures and life moments on platforms like Instagram. This also has a negative impact. For example, a teenager, after seeing random pictures of his friends going out on vacations, may feel dismal. He may start cursing his life. Also, when he sees his mates hanging out with friends and dear ones, he may feel left out.
It is in this very moment that he starts to feel that no one loves him or cares for him. While he will continue scrolling his feed, he may find his long lost friends winning a random competition, which can affect his mindset and a feeling of worthlessness can crush his mind. He may forget at that time that on platforms like Instagram, one only post pics of their happy moments. The one who seems to be happy in the pictures uploaded on social media may seem to be joyful, but only that person is aware of his life’s problems, which he chooses not to share on his Instagram.
It is also important to note that if someone has won a competition, he must have put in hard work and also faced failures in the past, which he won’t show on Instagram. Similarly, when a teenager expects likes and comments on his post and fails to get them, he may not feel good about it. It could be concluded that apps like Instagram are only made to feel happy, and watch others feel happy, but things are turning out to be completely opposite. Smiling only for Instagram likes and faking your life is what’s turning out to be ugly.
It is also important to treat this disorder just like any other disorder and not feel ashamed if you have it; it’s alright. This disorder is just like other ones such as TB, high sugar levels, and so on. Try to seek therapy, and be open about it, let the problem be out. Talk about it with a family member, a friend or someone who cares for you.
Try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Quit social media for a while. Also, try meditation. Every 1-2 hours, no matter what you are doing and how important it is, just take some deep breaths. It can help very much. Avoid the things that make you feel uneasy for a while; it is okay to say no. At this point in time, YOU matter the most. Try outdoor activities, instead of a solitude lifestyle. And at last, remember, things will change, and they will get better than ever!
The above article was first published on the author’s personal blog here.