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Society may be afraid or ashamed to seek help or even to discuss about how they feel. Fortunately, depression is a highly treatable illness, that is not a sign of personal failure. When people dismiss seeking professional help for this illness, they suffer greatly in the long run and may be at risk of committing suicide. Depression is a whole body illness that affects far more than the mind. Furthermore, doctors are researching the certain biological and chemical changes that trigger depression. “Researchers speculate that if present trends continue, then this disorder will have a greater impact on economic success than any other illness”(Miller). Adolescent depression is not well organized in today’s Canadian society; significantly in respect to symptoms and advanced treatments, such as, therapy and medications; if not corrected; this illness may become the leading cause of deaths in Canada. Numerous individuals try to ignore the symptoms or causes of depression or even further, mistaken them as signs of character weakness. In addition to a low mood, they may feel sad or hopeless and cannot remember the last time they enjoyed themselves; they may be edgy towards others at the slightest comments, at any given time. A depressed individual will feel enormous pressure, guilt, or helplessness, but this varies in every case. Some people’s symptoms are so intense, that their personal and professional lives may be disrupted. “These individuals will most commonly have symptoms, which start off gradually, but in others cases; the person’s symptoms may appear suddenly. Furthermore, warning signs that should not be disregarded are any of the following, which has been proceeding for more then a duration of, a couple of weeks”(Lader). The person shows signs of, persistent emptiness or excessive irritability, loss of pleasure in ordinary activities (including sex), change in weight and sleep patterns, difficulties concentrating and remembering or making decisions, decreased energy, fatigue and feeling “slowed down”, and chronic aches and pains that do not respond to treatment. In my opinion, if depression is not treated, it can last many months or years, wreak havoc with your life and can potentially lead to suicide. When dealing with depression, no one knows exactly what causes this illness, but there are a number of variables, either alone or in combination, that can lead to depression. Chemical imbalances are known for causing depression. “This is due to deficiencies in at least two brain chemicals, Serotonin and Norepinephrine, which are associated with depression” (Canadian Mental Health) Even though each case is complex, there appear to be common situations that act as triggers for the event. I have first hand knowledge on the subject, because I worked with adolescents, who are diagnosed with depressions. As well, I volunteered at a group home, where some of the teens, thought about taking their lives into their own hands. I really feel for them, because many of them are from broken homes, where they are, in some cases beaten or neglected. I use to come home and cry, when I saw a person that was going through so much pain. (Chafe) Depression is a complicated illness, which is even harder to prevent. “Depression is sudden and therefore is harder to detect right away, but one solution to the prevention, is to find the source of the problem”(Mogan). Locating the source can be effectively done through the treatment of counseling, psychotherapy, or exercise. Counseling is an effective way to talk to others, who are feeling the same way as your self. I believe that talking to someone else may be easier, due to the fact that the people are your age, and are having to go through the same state of, loneliness and confusion. Furthermore, you are in a setting of comfort, no intimidating doctors, just you and your peers. However, this is not always the case. In extreme cases, a doctor, such as a psychotherapist, is needed. This is referred to as, Psychotherapy, which means, that you are dealing with a doctor, one on one. Psychotherapy can be carried out by a variety of individuals, such as a, psychologist, psychoanalyst, psychotherapist, and psychiatrists. Moreover, there are no peer groups or counselors; this is used mainly in severe situations, where the person may need intense treatment and counseling. Nevertheless, psychotherapy is an effective method of treatment. In many cases, the patient may need medication, which can only be prescribed by any of the above doctors, but psychologists, because they only diagnose the depression and the others, treat the depression. Furthermore, in recent studies, it has been proven that exercise is an effective way to treat depression. Almost any form of exercise will help reduce stress. “During exercise, the body releases hormones such as endorphins which act as a natural antidepressant. Regular exercise tends to improve self- image and build self-confidence and increases energy. In addition, the time spent during exercise distracts you from daily demands and help interrupt stress including though patterns”(Dr.Faith). Professionals treating stress disorders would probably ideally recommend exercises, which lead to simultaneous improvements in the way depressive individuals feel. I believe that this is the best ways to receive treatment, because you are performing self-healing, which also gives you more motivation and higher self-esteem, due to the fact you’re helping yourself. It is a safe and fast acting therapy, which shows results, after the first time you try it; heart rate and breathing increases, so this means you are receiving more oxygen, and therefore are becoming healthier and less stress. In my opinion, I knowledge that exercising relieves stress or tension, because I exercised an hour a day, during my exam week and intern made me more alert and motivated. The presence of major depression and other depressive disorders is often an indication of a need for drug treatment. “As the disease has been linked to abnormal levels of neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and serotonin; the treatment aims to correct the imbalance in the brain”(Morgan). Great advances have been made in the diagnosis of depression, and larger advances have been made in its treatment. Although, in the past, medication was the primary therapy, that was used, it was found to have predominate side effects. Today, there are more than twenty antidepressant medications that are now available. For instance, some antidepressants, including Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSR’s) and Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCA’s) have shown to have very little side effects; as well as, higher success rates. “TCA’s, such as amitriptyline and imipranine, block both norepinphrine and serotonin reuptake. However, it is still new and is somewhat potient, and results cannot be guaranteed after one or two days. SSRI’s, such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline, have minimal efficacy advantages over TCA’s, and may even be less effective in some cases of severe depression. It is also less toxic in overdoses, then that of TCA’s.” (Lader) The recent development of the “selective serotonin reuptake inhibition drugs; for example, Effexor, Luvox, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft, represent a major revolution in the pharmacologic treatment of depression.” (Lader) Although there have been positive results, in people who have been taking these drugs; side effects still may occur, such as, nausea, fever, and weight gain. Nevertheless, it has been proven that many of these drugs can change the way depressive individuals feel and act. For example, a student from Calvin University said that, “Zoloft is one of the best drugs. After a few weeks of taking it, I noticed a vast improvement in my mood and energy. I would recommend this drugs to anyone who is suffering from depression” (Wiegers). Lastly, with proper diagnosis and treatment, depression can be effectively treated in more than 80% of cases. Due to today’s society not recognizing adolescent depression, treatment is the main factor in curing depression. Furthermore, depression may be the leading cause of death amongst teens in Canada. However, depression is a highly treatable disease; technology in the way of medicine has flourished and is on its way to eventually curing it completely. Depression is an illness, which effects the entire mind and body. It can cause a wide range of symptoms and anxiety attacks, which can occur at any give time. Fortunately, as described earlier that there is not a cure, but there are a variety of different methods of treatment, which can help cope with the illness. Overall, I found this to be honestly enjoyable; through researching this topic I realized and discovered a great deal more about adolescent depression. Bibliography: Work Cited 1. Dr. Fair. “Stress Less” [http://1w2fd.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/getm…&msg=MSG941604158.7&start=435849&len=3546]. November 3, 1999 2. Lader, M. Current Trends in Drugs for Depression. New York, 1996, p. 149-153. 3. Miller, Jonathan. Depression. New York: Boston Publications, 1990. 4. Mental Health Matters: A Publication of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Ontario: York Region Branch, 1998. 5. Morgan Ph.D., John D. Suicide: help those at risk. Ontario: King’s College, 1986. 6. Chafe, Michael. Written Interview. 17 May, 1999 Word Count: 1568
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