Depression Among Youth
By admin | May 17, 2007
Irritable? Withdrawn? Frustrated? Trouble falling asleep? Grade drops? Well, if your child is facing any or all of these problems, he may very well be suffering from depression.
Over the past few years, depression has emerged as a major problem among the youth. It has crept into colleges, the work place, the once happy home; manifesting itself in the form of social malfunction and physical and mental deterioration.
It is estimated that more than 5% of the teenage population suffers from depression. The onset of puberty results in various physical changes, causing stress and many a time leading to depression. Teenage girls especially, are prone to succumbing to major depression in adult life if they undergo a lot of stress during puberty due to hormonal changes, change in body shape etc. The number of adolescent females suffering from depression is twice the number of males.
Excessive irritability, mood swings, change in sleeping and eating patterns, withdrawal from the social scene, boredom, extreme sensitivity, frequent headaches, isolative behavior and lack of interest in doing things that one enjoyed doing earlier are the commonest symptoms of depression. The individual feels worthless, incapable of carrying out even the simplest of chores, loses interest in school work and starts losing out on performance. He may very often try to drown out all negative or suicidal thoughts by taking to drugs or alcohol, but this only makes the depression worse and the vicious cycle continues.
Living in times of early responsibilities has caused the young to take a beating both ends. He copes with studies, managing funds, perhaps social obligations and what not. Reason enough to send him into depression for stretching so, so, so far!
We tend to push our children into doing better than us, because we envision a beautiful life ahead for them… a life much better than ours. But in doing so, we forget that we need to let them develop at their own pace. Today’s youth is maturing at a much faster pace, getting exposure to everything at an earlier age as compared to the past generations. With technological advancement and liberalization, a lot more avenues have opened up for the youth. Yet, with new opportunities, there are new challenges, bringing along with them more stress and tension. The onus lies with the society, to help support these individuals by trying to be more understanding and co-operative. Parents in particular need to understand that instead of rebuking and shunning a depressed or dejected child, they need to embrace them and make them feel loved and honored. Depression is emerging as one of the leading causes of suicide among youth. You surely don’t want your child to land up in a situation where he would be forced to take such an extreme step. Counseling plays a major role in helping in dealing with depression. So, if your child is depressed, consult an expert. Repeated bouts of depression in young age can develop into full blown depression in latter years. Save your child from ruining or ending his life.
Together, with a little effort, you can help your child mature beautifully so that he/she is prepared to take on all challenges, unbroken and undaunted by past mistakes, without losing belief in his own capabilities and assets.
Tags:children depression stress suffering from depression suicidal thoughts suicide teenage youth
Topics: Mental Health |