What is teenage depression like and when should parents be concerned?
While it is normal for everyone, not just teenagers, to feel the 'blues' occasionally, depression becomes an illness when the feelings of dejection, hopelessness, and despair persist and interfere with a person's ability to function. Depression is often accompanied by feelings of helplessness, being overwhelmed by circumstances, withdrawal and isolation. People suffering from depression are often prone to lethargy, overeating or loss of appetite, worry, moodiness, withdrawal from family and friends, and lapse into inactivity.
What causes teenage depression?
Depression can be caused by any single or combination of biological, psychological and social factors.
Biological factors that play a role in depression include infections, endocrinal problems, hormonal imbalances, hypoglycemia, exposure to toxic substances, improper diet, anemia, and even certain medications. Psychological causes involve elements that predispose people to become depressed as a result of their unhealthy self-esteem and negative attitude towards others, the world around them, and the future. Pressures in life are also often at the root of depression problems, among them failure, frustration, and experiences of loss (death of a loved one, divorce, relocation, break-up with steady girl/boyfriend, etc.).
How can I deal with depression?
Counseling and psychiatric treatment are treated by some as undesirable options for people struggling with depression. This public attitude toward professional therapy arose mainly from the social and religious stigma attached to secular psychology.
The social stigma encompasses the misconception that counseling is applicable only to those suffering from severe mental problems. With increased awareness on the relevant benefits of psychology in addressing the manifold issues that people face on a day-to-day basis, however, many have come to develop serious appreciation for this discipline. Today, numerous principles advocated by professional counseling have helped not just the mentally challenged but also those who need succour in handling their daily anxiety, trauma, and other common behavioral manifestations of the inability to cope with life's difficulties.
The religious stigma embodies the belief that God's truth is all truth, so relying on psychology is tantamount to denying the Bible's sufficiency; it stresses that God's written word is the only truth that matters and it should therefore be the sole cradle for solutions to psychological problems. As a result, many believers of this kind resort to suppressing, repressing, or even denying feelings associated to depression and refusing to get help, afraid of being judged as having inadequate faith in God or inaccurate knowledge of the Bible. Such withdrawal or aversion to what may otherwise be useful tenets that help one adjust better in his life could be dangerous as the person involved may easily wind up losing his healthy ability to function as a whole, whether or not he is aware of it.
Although it is proper to believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, one must consider not taking this notion to the extreme such that every psychological principle (or secular idea, for that matter) is dismissed as generally or purely evil and contrary to God's Word. As one becomes objectively intimate both with the study of Scriptures and psychology, one will inevitably find that the two actually reflect similar precepts in many ways. In cases where there seems to be a contradiction between them, then one should look at the Bible as the superior standard. The Bible admonishes us to be constantly discerning of teachings so that we may be able to filter out those that oppose God's principles.
This same stigma also perpetuates the conviction that depression is a taboo concept for Christians, with the stance that prayer alone is enough to dispel all stress-oriented problems. It is a biblical truth that prayer is powerful and should be practiced diligently. Yet, besides this spiritual empowerment, God has also provided us with wonderful mental faculties (among them being common sense and critical sense) that allow us to devise different ways to help us deal with our problems—ways that aren't found specifically in the Bible but nevertheless aren't contrary to God's will. Dennis Bratcher of the Christian Resource Institute put it quite aptly when he wrote that secularism or humanism (which includes psychology and counseling), when "understood and used properly, with a proper balance between human effort and God's work, may provide us more opportunity than it does threat." (Dennis Bratcher, "Humanism in Culture and Scripture: Recovering A Balance", www.cresourcei.org, 2005)
Where and how do I get professional help?
Finding and choosing professional help need not be difficult, as ample counseling resources are present in most areas. Professional psychologists may be found in several settings such as hospitals, clinics, private/public agencies, treatment/rehabilitation centers and, nowadays, even in a number of churches. The task of seeking competent professional counseling involves careful consideration of the following factors:
SKILL & COMPETENCY—The qualifications of professional clinicians are derived from their education, experience, licensure and certification. They are commonly called licensed clinical psychologists, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, social workers and Board-certified psychiatrists. In churches, there is a growing number of people like Pastoral Counselors who have had the same training as professionals in the realm of counseling. Though they usually work in private practice, many churches refer troubled people to them. The advantage of professional pastoral counselors over those in the secular field lies in the former's personal as well as specialized commitment to Christ-centered soul care. Secular counseling does not usually offer the crucial spiritual link to our mental and emotional health, but trained Christian counselors can offer an integrated approach that assimilates knowledge of the body (physical domain), mind (thinking and emotional domains) and spirit (our relationship with God).
Most churches and Christian organizations equip lay counselors or caregivers with basic counseling and medical training for 'helping ministries' that reach out to people who cannot afford professional counseling. This is apparent in training programs such as "Stephen's Ministry" or "Caring for People God's Way" of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Be aware, however, that a Christian who is a counselor may be different from a Christian counselor. Sometimes, there are counselors who use the term 'Christian' to expand the scope of their clients rather than to operate in a Christ-oriented manner. Also, there are many Christians who may, in the best of intentions, profess to be counselors but lack sufficient training or background (even in the most basic sense) to handle the rather complicated task of counseling.
COUNSELOR'S BIBLICAL OR MORAL ADHERENCE—Before deciding which counseling help to approach, gather pertinent data about the prospective clinicians' general approach to counseling and how they incorporate God's Word into their work, including their views on moral/ethical issues that are of concern to you (such as divorce, homosexuality, abortion, discipline, etc.). You might also want to ask recommendations/referrals from your church, pastor or trusted brethren.
COUNSELEE'S NEEDS AND RESOURCES—Evaluate the nature and severity of your problem (e.g., is it life-threatening, what are your particular or special needs, what are the needs in your problem/situation, etc.), and take into account your finances, medical insurance, time, availability of your family members and other support systems which are all vital to selecting the most suitable counselor for you.
Aside from seeking professional help, is there anything else a teenager can do to handle depression?
Aside from seeking professional/medical help, there are a number of simple but effective things that could relieve your persistent "blues":
Pray consistently to God. If you must have a really good cry, cry to God—He listens and cares. He promises to deal with your problems if you bring them to Him. Reading the Bible will be a great help—not only does it provide solid comfort but also practical wisdom for your issues. (1Pe 5:7; Php 4:6,7; Isa 41:10; Je 29:11-13; Heb 4:15,16)
Don't keep it to yourself. Telling someone you trust or respect about the problem is usually helpful. Reach out to others—studies show depressed people tend to feel less sorry for themselves when they comfort others who suffer from grief and tragedy. (Pr 12:25; 17:17)
Steer clear from idleness—an idle mind is fertile ground for depressing thoughts. Being busy and active are good antidotes to gloominess and divert one from entertaining negative thinking.
Win the battle of the mind. If your depression stems from seeking others' approval for your happiness, consider that it is not healthy to always leave it up to them to measure your sense of worth. If the problem lies in sin or guilt, remember that God's forgiveness is always readily available to those who sincerely ask for it; but do not forget to do what it takes to get your life right with God . If the source of depression is failure, examine your goals and set realistic ones, asking God to help you achieve them. Accept the fact that disappointments are a part of life. Choose to 'get over it' rather than feeling stranded in hopelessness and uselessness. Surround yourself with positive things and positive people. (Isa 1:18; Pr 28:13; Ps 103:8-14; Php 4:8-9; 1Jn 1:9)
Eat sensibly and get enough sleep.
Exercise to perk up your mood. It increases the neurotransmitter serotonin (happy chemicals), the levels of which are significantly low in depressed people.
Use humor. Laughter also induces the production of 'happy chemicals' in the body and promotes overall wellbeing.
Avoid smoking, alcohol, marijuana and sedatives generally. While these seem to make things better in the short-term, they could adversely affect your health and make depression worse. Drugs and medicines are best administered with the doctor's guidance.