1. Abnormal sleeping habits
2. Constant feeling of fatigue
3. Excessive guilt or self-blame
What do these three things have in common? The answer: they are all signs of depression. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), more than 6 percent of children suffer from depression. Other medical studies have estimated that one out of twelve teenagers has dealt with either moderate to severe depression before they reached adulthood. The depression epidemic is not a new phenomenon. Historically depression has been considered the disease of great artists known only to individuals such as Ludwig von Beethoven, John Lennon, Ernest Hemmingway, and Sylvia Plath, the truth is depression can happen to anyone.
Although many people attribute being depressed with being sad, it is not just about having the blues. Depression affects more than just one’s emotions; it can color one’s eating, sleeping, cogitative, and social habits. It can also manifest itself in different ways to different individuals. In fact males and females are usually affected in different ways. While females tend to feel, worthless and hopeless when they are depressed, males often become angry and obsessive. Likewise anxiety is often but not always a symptom of this struggle.
Today there are many treatments available for students who are battling depression. Some are as simple as incorporating more physical activity while others are as extreme as surgery. The type of treatment is entirely determined by the cause and effects of an individual’s struggle.
The most important thing for any parent or teenager to understand is there is no shame in getting help with anxiety or depression. Regardless of what some people might say, depression does not simply go away with positive thoughts. Like cancer, depression is a real disease that if left untreated can led to major side-effects and even death. Recognizing the signs of depression is the first step in getting better.
It can be especially difficult to recognize the signs of depression during the summer as students tend to spend their free time catching up on some much needed rest. While oversleeping might be the result of overactivity during the school year, research has shown that the summer time is actually the season when teenagers feel most depressed. Even if your students are just feeling mildly sad during the summer much, it’s important help them stay involved and maybe even grab some sun for a healthy dose of vitamin D (interestingly enough lack of vitamin D in the system can make a person feel blue) Summer time is the perfect time to exercise, get an internship, or volunteer for a worthy cause. Staying active and getting involved is a great way to fight any onset of the summer blues.
Image courtesy of by David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
