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Depression can leave a physical and mental toll on teenagers

By KIMBERLEE NGUYEN
fhspress.com Student Life Editor
Posted on January 24, 2013

Think again when you assume that your classmate has a 'perfect' life by looking on the surface. Dig deeper and you might, perhaps, find your assumption has been proven wrong.

It is typical for a person to feel sad or depressed to a normal reaction to loss, life's struggles, or an injured self-esteem but when the feelings of sadness intensify for several days, it can be a sign of depression. The person feels they are helpless, hopeless, and worthless to the people around them and can keep them from functioning normally on a daily basis.

How does depression occur? Well, there are actually many factors that can lead to this illness. They include either past physical sexual or emotional abuse, certain medications, personal conflicts, death or a loss, genetics, major events, a chemical imbalance, and other factors. It may seem odd for one to suffer such an illness but these factors can make a strong impact on the person and shouldn't be taken lightly.

If you've been feeling sad lately but you're unsure if it is depression, here is a list of symptoms that will help you know:
• A depressed mood during most of the day, particularly in the morning
• Fatigue or loss of energy almost every day
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt almost every day
• Impaired concentration, indecisiveness
• Insomnia (an inability to sleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping)
• Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities nearly every day
• Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
If you're experiencing more than one of these symptoms, please go seek some assistance or talk to a trusted person before this eventually gets out of hand and leads to a terrible consequence. No one should ever feel like they are alone in their thoughts or view the world as a dark place to be in. And please don't resort to cutting your own precious body.

Here, I have some resources that can hopefully ease the victim's depression by a lot and make them feel alive again like they should:
1. Depression hotline: 1-630-482-9696
2. Suicide hotline: 1-800-784-8433
3. Self-harm helpline: 1-800-366-8288
4. The Quiet Place Keep calm and click the link.
5. Thoughts' Room Share your thoughts with yourself.
6. Feeling Down? Flatter yourself.
7. Can't Sleep? Distract yourself.

Never underestimate the power of an illness. Smile at a stranger or give compliments, for it might brighten their day in a quick second.

kimberlee.nguyen@fhspress.com

FOOTHILL HIGH SCHOOL fhspress.com SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA