What is depression?

Clinical depression is an illness that can affect anyone, including teenagers. Depression affects your thoughts, emotions, actions, and even bodily health. Depression can be treated and with the right help, you can live better lives. There is a possibility of getting worse if you don’t get help. Treating depression is especially important because it affects you, your family, and your work. Some people with depression try to harm themselves in the mistaken belief that how they are feeling will never change. Depression is an uphill climb, but treatable if you take the right steps.

What are signs of depression?

The symptoms vary from person to person because everyone is different. But in general, depression can affect your thoughts, emotions, actions, and physical health. Not only will it affect you, but it can also affect your relationships with the people around you, such as your family and friends. Here are a few of the common signs of depression:

• You feel helpless and sad for a long period of time
• You have low self-esteem and think that you aren’t good enough
• You feel like nothing good can happen to you ever again
• You are often apathetic (meaning you don’t show you care or have feelings)
• You are not interested in things that used to be a lot of fun for you, such as going out with friends or doing a hobby.
• You want to be left alone most of the time
• You tend to forget things and it’s hard to focus
• You overreact to things that you normally wouldn’t
• You sleep too much or sleep too little
• You eat too much or eat too little
• You think about hurting yourself, dying, or even have thoughts about committing suicide.

Remember, these signs do not apply to everyone, but if you have struggled with many of these for over two weeks, then it is time to seek help. You’re only a teenager once! So get out there and make a change in your life or the life of a friend. You don’t have to live your life in depression.