10 most common causes of teenage depression

The Causes of teenage depression usually vary from one teenager to another. In fact, literatures and researches have shown that the list of causes of teenage depression is practically endless. Research has also shown that most types of depression can be treated. In this article I have highlighted below some of the most common causes of teenage depression facing teenagers today;

1. Traumatic or Significant life events such as the death of a family member, close friend or loved one, parents divorce or split, heartbreak from  a boyfriend or girlfriend, or relocating or moving to a new school and area.
2. Emotional and Physical neglect, being separated from a significant others or nurturer, abuse, as well as damage to self esteem can all lead to depression.
3. Many changes happening too quickly can cause depression. For some teens, any major change at one time can trigger symptoms.
4. Stress aggravated by emotional neglect from significant others and loved ones.
5. Past traumatic events, experiences or negative flash backs like sexual abuse, rape, physical abuse which might have happened earlier in a teen’s life can generally resurface as flashbacks later in the teen’s life. When this happens, the teen may experience varying degrees of depression.
6. A teenager can experience depression as a result of growth spurts or changes associated with puberty. This can be easily treated.
7. Misuse, abuse or over use of drugs and other related substances can alter the brain chemistry in a teen causing some types of depression.
8. Some physical or medical conditions such as hypothyroidism and physical disability can affect hormone and mood balance. The stress and chronic Physical pain associated with the treatment of certain health conditions can also trigger depression
9. Depression can be a genetic disorder, and teens with family members with a history of depression have a greater chance themselves of suffering from depression
10. Financial difficulties can also be a cause of teenage depression. This is true especially if one or both parents are unemployed or got laid off.

Whatever the cause of your depression, the good news is that treatment is available for most types of depression. So if you suffer from depression take courage in the fact that your condition can be perfectly treated.

5 Ways to Deal With Depression and Anxiety

By Josef Mack

Depression, anxiety and stress are a normal part of life. Everyone is liable to have a bad day here and there. Few people are always positive and cheerful. If you get through the miserable spots then you are doing fine. But if you get stuck in what seems like a black hole, then it's a problem that has to be first recognized and then treated. Please consult your physician immediately.

If you are not quite down the black hole yet, here are five simple tips on how you can treat your depression. Please consider that we all self-diagnose to be healthier than we really may be, so be honest with yourself:

Tip 1: Pet Therapy

One of the simplest, most effective and the cuddliest option is getting a pet, specifically a dog or a cat. Reason being, they give unconditional love and spoil you with never ending attention. It's hard to get a fish to lick you, or wag its tail like a dog does. It's also proven that petting a cat or dog lowers blood pressure.

Tip 2: Fitness Workout

Get enrolled in a fitness workout program. The physical activity energizes the body and helps treat anxiety. When you get your body moving you release endorphins. Endorphins are the body's happy chemicals; they make you feel better and are good for your health.

Tip 3: Hobby Time

Pause and take a break. Explore your hobby and give yourself time. You can even join a charity or do volunteer work. This is a natural therapy, helping others gives you inner peace and satisfaction. You will also feel empathy and realize the good things you do have in your life. You might even consider your problems to be petty compared to those of others.

Tip 4: Sleep Quality

How well you sleep will determine the peacefulness in your life. In order to ensure a better rest period, the following steps should be taken into consideration:


 Get a comfortable bed and pillow(s)
 Set the room temperature to a cooler level
 Use aromatherapy and mist your pillow with lavender
 Avoid alcohol and caffeine before going to bed
 Do not watch horror movies before going to bed
If it's not possible to do all of these, do as many as you can to insure a good sound sleep.

Tip 5: Recognize the Reason(s)

This happens to be the most vital tip of all. You need to know the reason behind the depression. When you recognize the cause, you can then find a way to deal with it, or treat it.

Depression and anxiety are serious issues and have consequences on our health. They should not be taken lightly. Remember that life happens to us and it is how we act or react to it that makes the difference. Get help to uncover your own natural positive attitude and start living a happier life. Don't wait - start now!

Next, if you would like to find out more about Social Anxiety Disorder, Depression or Stress then visit [http://www.defeatsocialanxiety.com]Defeat Social Anxiety today.

If you have S.A.D and would like to know some of the things you can do about it, then please visit [http://www.defeatsocialanxiety.com]Defeat Social Anxiety.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com

How to Detect Teenage Depression Symptoms

By Ben Paul

Depression suffered by teenagers is serious mental disorder much like the ones experienced by adults. Depression is a disease that requires serious medical and psycho-therapeutic attention for both adult and teenage sufferers. When adults exhibit symptoms of depression it is usually as a result of serious occurrence rather than peripheral and insignificant matters.

Most teenagers deal with issues regarding sex, friends, studies and even issues regarding popularity and belonging. Any typical teenager will experience rejection at some point which can eventually lead to depression. Then number of adolescents who suffer from depression is surprisingly higher than that of adults. There are about 1-2 out of 10 teenagers in America who exhibit Teenage Depression Symptoms; and only one out of sixty eight adult Americans are affected with depression. The contrast in number is completely overwhelming. This demonstrates that adolescents have more problems than they could handle or cope with than many adults.

The most common or typical sign of teenage depression is loss of interest. Adolescents show depression signs without even knowing that they are depressed. Their lack of knowledge regarding depression makes them more vulnerable to it than most adults. The sign that can be seen with teenagers are not only lack of interest, but also the sign of hopelessness, hostility, sadness, worthlessness, irritability and anger. They can also withdraw from their friends as a result of their feelings of loneliness and sadness.

One of the reasons teenage depression symptoms is hard to diagnose is because adolescents are often more concerned about how their friends will perceive them. They may often refuse to accept that they are depressed and may need some medical treatment. This feeling of apprehension is mostly tied to what they perceive to be a weakness or what they think their friends would say about them. Their fear of being rejected can make their depression worst. Unlike adults who are often alarmed by even a single symptom; teenagers tend to hide what and how they really feel especially from their parents.

The treatment for Teenage Depression Symptoms is the same with how a doctor would treat an adult patient. There are cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, medication and sometime interpersonal therapy that are involved. Teenagers are given antidepressant medicines under the guidance and supervision of their parents. Fighting the signs of adolescent depression can be much harder than dealing with depression with adults. It is always difficult for some teenagers to be open with their parents and friends much less with strange doctor. Teenage depression symptoms must not be pushed aside as just ordinary adolescent problems. The more you disregard this concern, the more obvious it becomes that bigger social and psychological issue will rise in the future.

Ben Paul is an expert author who has written extensively about different types of medical and health related matters. If you want to know more about causes and symptoms of depression and anxiety visit this page about [http://www.onlinemedicineinfo.com/atarax.php]Vistaril or other related pages like: [http://www.onlinemedicineinfo.com/risperdal.php]Antipsychotic drug for depression and much more.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com

Top Six Tips To Cure Teenage Depression



  By Emmanuel Heart

There are various treatments for depression. However, a treatment option depends largely on the symptoms and severity of the depression experienced by you. For instance, while some depression sufferers might benefit from medical treatments, others might only require the love and care showered by family and friends to recover. Whatever the type of depression and symptoms exhibited by you, you can benefit from any of the treatment options discussed in this article;

Medical Treatments: This practically involves the administration of an effective medication by a doctor or specialist. The doctor might prescribe antidepressant medication or recommend some other form of assistance. Medical treatment can greatly relieve depression especially when a chemical imbalance is involved. In this case, the prescribed drug restores your body chemistry to its proper balance and this will in effect help you regain a measure of joy and stability. However, the use of antidepressants usually comes with serious side effects. Hence, usage should be monitored carefully as usage might even cause suicidal thoughts. There is also the problem of addiction caused by prolonged use of antidepressants.

Social Support: Teenagers who suffer from clinical depression need all the support they can get because ignoring depression especially by significant others might be risky. In fact, untreated depression can be life threatening. Thus, many depressed teenagers have benefited from the love constant love of their family members and friends. Family and friends can help you by providing social facilitation and also prevent you from self isolation that is characteristics of depressed teenagers.

Dietary adjustments: There might also be need for you to make some necessary adjustments with what you eat. Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine are all psychoactive. Alcohol for instance is a depressant that acts on the central nervous system (CNS) slowing down its functioning. Therefore care should be taken when consuming any of this. You should also consider taking vitamin B-6 supplements every day. This is because vitamin B-6 increases serotonin levels in your body. You should also avoid skipping meals so that your body can produce the right amount of energy needed. Generally speaking, you need to eat healthy and avoid alcohol and excessive use of drugs. Some teenagers have greatly benefited from having to eat healthy as this has greatly helped improve their depressive state.

Herbal remedies: Herbal remedies unlike medical antidepressants are safer and with little or no side effects. For this reason, you might also consider this as an option in treating depression. However, the right herbal supplement should be used and care should be taken when using other drugs with herbal supplements. this is because herbal supplements usually render other medications ineffective, hence there might be need to discontinue other treatments when using herbal remedies. 

Psychotherapy: with the help of a therapist you can be thought the basic technique of bringing about a positive change in your behavior or personality. Psychotherapy will help you replace negative and depressive thoughts with more positive and uplifting ones thereby making you lead a normal healthy life that is depression free.

Exercises: Exercises are very important and is also a way of alleviating depression in teenagers. Exercises can make you active and prevent you from being withdrawn. Apart from this, physical exertion releases endorphins in your body and helps you feel positive and happier. Therefore, I suggest you choose a routine for an exercise you are comfortable with. The psychological benefits of exercises are also broad, and most studies suggest a positive relationship between physical fitness, mental achievement and general well being.



 Some of the treatment options for treating teenage depression includes, psychotherapy, exercises, herbal remedies, medical treatments, and dietary adjustments. If you don't respond to any of the treatment discused here, you might need to consider other treatment options.

Teenager Depressed? Get Help Without Having to Give Your Child Prescription Drugs

By Laura Ramirez

Drugs are not the only answer. In this article, you'll learn about some of the pros and cons of prescription drugs as well as an effective alternative program that can really help save your teen from the clutches of depression.

A parent with a depressed teenager may be at a loss for what to do. She wants more than anything to get her teen help, but she may be frightened by all the side effects of prescription drugs. So let's take a look at the positives and negatives of these medications and then we will examine natural alternatives.

Prescription drugs do work for some kids, but for other kids, they make the symptoms worse. It is this population of kids that you need to be concerned with. For instance, the antidepressant Paxil has been implicated in the suicides of a number of teens because one of the side effects is that it can increase suicidal thoughts. Obviously, this is dangerous side effect. Since we cannot cover every possible side effect of every available drug, we will talk in generalities. Other common side effects include weight gain (not a good thing for teenage girls), anxiety and a sense of impending doom.

Side effects are particular to the drug prescribed for a depressed teenager, so make sure to check with your doctor. Also, it's important to understand that for doctors, prescribing drugs is a hit-or-miss situation. If you decided to go the prescription medicine route, your teen may have to try a number of drugs until you find one that works.

Some other things you need to know are that drugs are not a cure. They do work to suppress the side effects, but if your child stops taking his meds, the symptoms will return. This is why it pays to take your child to therapy to figure out what is causing these symptoms in your teenager. Depressed teens may need a two-pronged approach in order to get better.

Finally, some of these drugs are new on the market and so the long term effects of giving a teenager antidepressants have not been studied. Since the teen is right in the middle of brain development (unused neural circuits in the brain are being discarded and new connections in the prefrontal cortex are being formed), prescription drugs may alter the course of that development.

For many parents, the risk of giving drugs to their depressed teenager outweigh the benefits, so this is why they choose to use natural alternatives instead. Here's some things you need to know about using these natural solutions.

First, look for a remedy that contains Passion Flower and St. John's Wort. These herbs work together to reduce negative thinking and promote feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain, generating a balanced mood and a positive outlook. Although these herbs have been used for hundreds of years and passed down by countless generations, they have also recently been proven effective in clinical studies. Since they have few side effects and no long term implications they are a good, natural solution for a   rel=nofollow [http://www.cure-depression-naturally.com]teenager depressed.

Obviously, the actions of a supplement are supported by healthy food. Center your teen's diet around simple, organic food like lean meat, fish, nuts, beans and fresh vegetables and fruit. The importance of this is that if your teen has been depressed for some time, his brain can use the healthy fats, phytonutrients and protein that are found in unprocessed food. Together with the supplement, this can help his brain begin to heal.

Once your teen starts feeling better, encourage him to exercise. Exercise relieves stress and rejuvenates the mind. It also stops the downward spiral of negative thinking.

So there you have it: a simple, effective program to help a depressed teenager get his life back without drugs and all their dangers. Together, a natural supplement, healthy food and regular exercise can work wonders. Sometimes the simple, practical solutions are the ones that work the best and are the healthiest in the long run.

Laura Ramirez helps others achieve health and wellness through her research. Learn more about her findings on helping a depressed teenage boy by going to [http://www.cure-depression-naturally.com]www.cure-depression-naturally.com.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com

Four ProvenTips to Overcome Teenage Depression

By Emmanuel Heart

Teenage depression is a condition most parents have experienced at some point or the other while growing up. Little wonder it is not surprising to find that many teenagers have fought this emotional and mental illness which makes them feel worthless to the extent of negatively affecting their daily activities. Whatever the case, it is my opinion that parents can simply help their depressed teenagers by promoting a peaceful and conducive home that will positively bolster their teenager’s depressive mood. They can do this by paying attention to the following tips provided in this article;

Spend More Time with them; it may be wise and rewarding for parents to spend more time with their depressed teen. This is because research has shown that depressed teens usually prefer to isolate themselves. They might leave the house completely or even prefer to confine themselves to their rooms. Under such circumstance, it might be best if parents spend more time with their affected teen as confinement on the teen’s part will only aggravate their depressive state. Parents can even make the atmosphere more exciting by organizing games and other collaborative activities. The goal here is to involve the depressed teen socially while also providing some sort of social support.

Take Note of Depressive Stimuli; Did I hear you say the above strategy didn’t work for your depressed teen? In that case, you might have to go further by diligently observing your teen’s sleeping and eating habits as well as medication usage as these could be prospective triggers of depressive episodes. Therefore as a parent, it might be wise that you keep records of what you observe are triggers of your teen’s depressive episodes as well as any corresponding observable behavior. The goal here is that if parents have an understanding of the underlying causes of their teen’s depression then they might be better able to promote an environment that supports positively stimulating behaviors thereby suppressing or totally preventing depressive episodes before they occur.

Make Them Stay Healthy; it is important that you encourage your depressed teen to lead a healthy and active life, characterized by regular exercises, wise choices of food as well as moderate use of drugs and alcohol. The goal here is that, staying healthy, busy or active can lead to decreased depression or totally prevent depression.

Show Them Love; don’t ever forget that your depressed teen needs all the support and care he can get. Hence, do not deny your depressed teen the support and constant love that he needs. If you have tried the strategies covered so far in this article, and your teen continues to experience or show signs of depression or teenage depression, do not hesitate to seek professional help.

Top Ten Signs Of Teenage Depression

By Emmanuel Heart  

Is your teen suffering from teenage depression? Teenage depression is an occurrence that is more common than we can imagine. So if your teen is a victim, you are not alone. However, what are some common signs of teenage depression?

• Poor academic performance; your depressed teen might find it difficult coping with school work, assignments, teachers and peers and these results in unexpected and sudden drop in grades. Eventually, the teen might feel reluctant to go to school at all.
   
• Behavioral problems; your depressed teen might experience clear changes in mood and behavior. Confrontational and rebellious behaviors even to the extent of running away from home could also be a possibility.
   
• Self isolation; most of the time, your depressed teen might withdraw himself from family, friends and relatives. He prefers to be left alone and not disturbed.
   
• Changes in sleep pattern; your depressed teen might experience confused sleep patterns. He might either be sleeping all day and staying up all night or sleeping too little or too much.
   
• Feelings of worthlessness and guilt; Your teen might constantly feel like a failure and also becomes negatively critical of himself even though this may not be true.
   
• Loss of interest in extracurricular activities; Your teen might suddenly become uninterested in hobbies and activities that were once intriguing to him. He now suddenly becomes unexpectedly passive.
   
• Substance abuse; you may observe an excessive or overuse of drugs and alcohol. In extreme cases, there might even be some form of substance addiction.
   
• Changes in eating habit; your teen might develop several eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia nervosa, and even compulsive overeating.
   
• Psychosomatic symptoms; your depressed teen might constantly complain of illnesses without any clear physical causes. Headaches, back pain, stomach aches are just few examples of the various illnesses that your teen might complain of.
   
• Death or suicide thoughts; in extreme cases of teenage depression, depression intensifies to the extent that your teen might become more preoccupied with feelings of death or suicide. He might constantly consider ‘ending it all’.

If you think your teen displays some or all of the symptoms described in this article, it might be a clear indication that your teen is suffering from teenage depression. It might therefore be wise for you to seriously consider seeking professional advice.