SWITCHED-ON POLL
Thank you for voting...
1-800-RUNAWAY: Did You Know...
That the National Runaway Switchboard handles more than 100,000 calls every single year from people all over the country, almost 275 calls a day?Visit 1800RUNAWAY.org today!
Depression
By Allyson, a high school senior
June 16, 2008
Feeling upset or depressed about something from time to time is something a lot of people can relate to. It's a normal response to feel depressed or upset after something bad happens. But when feeling depressed or irritable begins to interfere with your normal life for two or more weeks, then something is wrong. Clinical depression is like being a prisoner of your own mind, held captive by persistently negative thoughts about yourself and your life, dragged down by feeling tired for what seems to be all the time.
Symptoms may include but are not limited to:
Feeling depressed or irritable for two or more weeks
Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities
Frequent fatigue
Difficulty falling asleep or
Persistent thoughts of death or suicide; suicidal actions
Persistent negative thoughts about oneself or one's life
For more information about the symptoms of depression, click HYPERLINK "http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml"here.
Imagine the details of your life and the events in your life as walls. When something bad occurs to you, or when a problem is really upsetting you, picture a single wall being built around you. When you or someone you know figures out a way to deal with that problem, that wall goes down.
In clinical depression, each wall becomes another part of that mental prison that's building around you. Eventually, it'll reach the point where all the walls envelop you. The walls become a virtual prison. Everyday you become consumed by negative thoughts. Because the walls are all there, that might be all you can see. You can't see anything good about yourself anymore. Every mistake you make becomes amplified by the sounds of that mental prison.
And your friends, your family...they might seem out of touch when you feel like you're screaming out for help behind those walls; it'll seem like those walls have muffled out your voice, and you can't speak out.
So how do you break free from those walls that have you confined into that mental prison? Who to ask for help for an undertaking that seems overwhelming?
Some of the treatment for depression may include:
Medications (anti-depressants)
Therapy (talk, art, or music)
Combination of medication and therapy
Medications for clinical depression aren't miracle pills and don't cure depression, but they do make the illness more manageable. For some people, a combination of medication and therapy is a really effective way to treat depression. Talk to your doctor to find out more about what treatment options are available.
June 16, 2008
Feeling upset or depressed about something from time to time is something a lot of people can relate to. It's a normal response to feel depressed or upset after something bad happens. But when feeling depressed or irritable begins to interfere with your normal life for two or more weeks, then something is wrong. Clinical depression is like being a prisoner of your own mind, held captive by persistently negative thoughts about yourself and your life, dragged down by feeling tired for what seems to be all the time.
Symptoms may include but are not limited to:
Feeling depressed or irritable for two or more weeks
Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities
Frequent fatigue
Difficulty falling asleep or
Persistent thoughts of death or suicide; suicidal actions
Persistent negative thoughts about oneself or one's life
For more information about the symptoms of depression, click HYPERLINK "http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml"here.
Imagine the details of your life and the events in your life as walls. When something bad occurs to you, or when a problem is really upsetting you, picture a single wall being built around you. When you or someone you know figures out a way to deal with that problem, that wall goes down.
In clinical depression, each wall becomes another part of that mental prison that's building around you. Eventually, it'll reach the point where all the walls envelop you. The walls become a virtual prison. Everyday you become consumed by negative thoughts. Because the walls are all there, that might be all you can see. You can't see anything good about yourself anymore. Every mistake you make becomes amplified by the sounds of that mental prison.
And your friends, your family...they might seem out of touch when you feel like you're screaming out for help behind those walls; it'll seem like those walls have muffled out your voice, and you can't speak out.
So how do you break free from those walls that have you confined into that mental prison? Who to ask for help for an undertaking that seems overwhelming?
Some of the treatment for depression may include:
Medications (anti-depressants)
Therapy (talk, art, or music)
Combination of medication and therapy
Medications for clinical depression aren't miracle pills and don't cure depression, but they do make the illness more manageable. For some people, a combination of medication and therapy is a really effective way to treat depression. Talk to your doctor to find out more about what treatment options are available.
Copyright © 2010 All content property of switchedonmag.org. Sponsored by the National Runaway Switchboard