Teen Depression and How To Cope

About 20 percent of teenagers alone are affected by depression before adulthood. This can take control of their lives even though they are considered “young”. According to centerfordiscovery.com Depression in teens can lead to many unhealthy coping mechanisms such as suicide or self harm. Every 100 minutes a teenager commits suicide. That is about 14 teenagers each day who take their lives after fighting depression for too long. This is according to a study by linkedin.com. “Depression can affect your daily life in many different ways,” says Marion Walker a Senior at Crete Monee HIgh School. Even though depression can take over your life there are many ways that people can cope with the issue. Many people use these coping mechanisms to help themselves be more positive when they’re feeling down.

These mechanisms can be eating healthy, doing something that you enjoy, talking to a trusted friend about situations you are having, and even writing down your thoughts. There are so many more that many people use but these are just a selected few. “Try to stay positive, get up and think good thoughts, and eat breakfast. You’d honestly be surprised how much it really helps,” states Daniella Werner a junior at Crete Monee HIgh School. Depression is also very common in teenagers. This is because many teens may be facing long- term bullying, friend drama, and or academic issues. Other cases may include being a victim of sexual assault, abuse, or had experiences in violence. They may also be trying to figure themselves out. There is also some long-term healing to depression. Depending on how serious your depression is, it most likely may take a little bit of time to heal. People with more serious accounts of depression usually take medication and or attend therapy. “It depends on how serious the depression is, if you have severe depression then it will not be as easy to fix than minor cases,” explains Kyle Meers, a senior at Crete Monee High School. Healing can usually take about two years if you stick to healthy coping mechanisms and try to live your most positive life to help with dealing with depression. According to familydoctor.org. This may be hard to do if your depression leaves you unmotivated. You don’t have to deal with depression alone you can always seek the help of close friends or family. The battle that teens face with depression can’t always be fought by themselves and it is very healthy to get help from somebody they may trust. With that being said there is always somewhere you can seek help and call. All teens and anybody of any age can contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800- 273-8255. There are consultants that are there to help you 24 hours, 7 days a week whenever someone needs to call. “You’re not alone with depression seek help and talk to your friends or family,” says Daniella Werner.