Everybody who is reading this probably has some idea of what depression is, but generally, there's a lot more to it than most people think. Primarily, depression in teens is a lot more serious than it is often made out to be. Most of us feel sad, or depressed at times, perhaps when we fail a test, or when we get in a fight with a friend. While many of the causes, such as loss of a loved one, are the same between adults and teens, but there are many others that teens are susceptible to. School results in peer pressure and academic expectations that many teens struggle to keep up with. Furthermore, teens constantly have to deal with the changes that adolescence results in.
As much as people might think so, depression is not something that can just be overcome. It is often a medical condition that requires treatment and therapy, or it can result in serious consequences like suicide.
There are many symptoms that you can watch for in both yourself and your friends:
While depression is in itself harmful, it has the potential to cause much more dangerous complications.