Panic Book

A lot of people would claim they are depressed, but not all of them realize that there are people who fare much worse. Teenagers, for instance, would say they’re depressed over a breakup or a low grade at school or a denied scholarship opportunity. Others would be depressed but they don’t really know the reason why. All they know is that they are experiencing a lack of enthusiasm for engaging in an activity – even those that they love – and would display symptoms including, but not limited to, anxiety, eating too much, eating too little, having trouble sleeping, sleeping too much, and of course, thoughts of ending one’s own life.

There are different levels of depression, so there are different levels of treatments as well. The most common would be through pharmaceutical products – the antidepressants. Antidepressants come in wide variety, with the most popular being the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRI. The drug is also used in treating anxiety disorders, and other mood disorders. However, there are side effects including, but not limited to, headaches, diarrhea, and semi-impotency. That being said, depression treatments usually avoid any medication involvement and focus on psychological treatments.

One of the most popular forms of psychotherapy is cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. This type of therapy helps the depression sufferer develop cognitive or thinking skills that are in sharp contrast to what they usually think during their depressive episodes. By developing their cognitive skills, behaviors will follow. For instance, if the depressed has no desire to engage in any activity because he doesn’t see it as productive, he will be trained to see the good in that activity so as for him to finally get into it. Usually, the depressed sees the bad in everything, and fails to see that some activities can actually relieve the depressive episode.

CBT, however, isn’t very effective in teenage depression; according to studies. This is because teenagers face different stressors than adults do. They are in that phase in their lives where everything is new to them. They are in that phase where they want to be adults so bad but simultaneously want to be children forever. They experience love for the first time, they have bigger projects at school, they are subjected to more peer pressure than ever before. While CBT can perform quite well with teenage depression, the therapy is likened to a placebo.

If you are depressed, your biggest enemy is yourself. You may find something good to do, but your mind tells you it won’t be worth it, so you slink in the corner brooding about how bad life is. In actuality, some activities may alleviate your mood. For instance, exercising or any other rigorous activities can help you get that elated feeling because of the fact that your body releases endorphins. You may also take up art lessons or learn to play a musical instrument. This allows you to think about something else and forget your worries for a moment. This also allows you to get creative and have something happy to look forward to.