What is depression? What does it look like? Why is he, or she, depressed? How common is it? These are a few common questions asked by people who have or do not understand depression. Depression does not have a specific look. Someone could be suffering from it without knowing, let alone anyone else knowing. They look happy, they participate in activities, they have many friends; they have no reason to be depressed. Right? However, no one knows what is going on inside of their mind. There are two types of depression. There are endogenous and reactive. Endogenous literally means it was created from within. Reactive depression means you know the cause. No one knows what their lifestyle is like. Teenage depression is a common mental health condition, similar to adult depression, and should be taken seriously. Throughout life, many teens will meet the lovely face of depression. Teenage depression will cause major problems including alcoholism, substance abuse, social isolation, self-harming behaviors, and, possibly, suicide. .
Depression does not discriminate. People get depressed all the time. However, when the feelings become more of a problem, and it seems like you can't get through the normal day, that is when to seek help. Depression can be triggered by numerous things. Feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness can be a cause. If one is suffering with depression, they are not likely to get help, or ask for help, at first. However, there will be noticeable changes in their attitude and life style. They will lack motivation to do anything, which will cause a problem maintaining a relationship. They will most likely have a dramatic change in weight, whether it be weight loss or weight gain. This will cause other health problems such as bulimia nervosa and binge-eating. Also, they will have an irregular sleep pattern. They will sleep much more or not enough. Insomnia is common with depression. About 15% of those who see a doctor mention they can't sleep.
