Every morning, sunlight streams in through the window, opening the puffy red eyes of a teenager, and reminding them that today is going to be yet another day; in the world which they call hell. It’s warm in the room, but the teenager is cold, as the thoughts that caused the tears to come down last night, roam their mind. Last night was the same as the night before, and today it will be the same. Getting out of bed, is no easy task for the teenager. Sometimes getting out of bed seems pointless. The teenager feels pain. Worthlessness, fear, and grief. The teenager feels alone. However, alone they are not. The teenager is suffering from a very common mental disorder; Depression.

Teenage Depression consists of more than just a poor attitude and occasional sadness. Depression is a serious illness that spreads more and more quickly among teens every year. While being a serious illness, Teenage Depression can be cured with the help of parents, teachers, friends, and doctors. According to helpguide.org; while depression can be treated easily, only about 20% of teenagers actually receive the help, because they are scared or ignored by others. “Sometimes it was so frightening to let anyone in on what was going on with me. I felt embarrassed, and I felt like there was no way out. It was like I could take a deep breath, as soon as my mom told me that she knew what was going on, and she was going to help,” says a 19 year old Bucks County Community College student. However, if depression is left untreated it begins to interfere with every feature in the teenagers life. Beginning with problems at home, school, friends, and even leading to problems such as being promiscuous, drug abuse, self-abuse, violence, and even suicide.

There are many things that people don’t understand about depression in teenagers, and how teenagers that are effected differ from the average healthy teenager. Most teenagers have mood swings, many fight with friends, all argue with their parents, and many get upset. Depression, however, is completely different. Depression has the capability of taking over a teenagers life; destroying their personality and causing their constant grief.

There are many signs that teenagers with Depression have, and if a friend or an adolescent close to you has many of these symptoms, it is very important that they seek help. According to collegnews.com the signs of Depression are: sadness or hopelessness, irritability or pain, tearfulness or frequent crying, withdrawal from friends and family, loss of interest in activities, change in eating habits and sleeping habits, restlessness and agitation, lack of motivation, fatigue, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and thoughts of death or suicide.

When symptoms of Depression get really serious teenagers show many different signs and they send out many different signals, trying to seek help from someone, without actually asking. Things such as talking positively about death, or joking about committing suicide. Giving away prized possessions, and saying “goodbye” to friends and family, as if it was for good. Seeking out ways to get weapons and different kinds of pills, is yet another sign of a teenager in the process of committing suicide.

There are so many Teenagers suffering with Depression, that it is very important to make sure that they get the proper treatment, because when left untreated Depression is indeed life-threatening. It is very important to offer all of the help possible to the victims of Depression, and make them feel comfortable with talking to people around them about their problems. Offering support, being gentle yet persistent, listening without lecturing, and validating their feelings, are all very important things to do when talking to a teen that is going through Depression. In the worse case scenarios, anti-depressants can be prescribed by doctors to adolescents. While medication might help in the beginning of the illness, it is not recommended for children and teenagers, because of the many different side affects that come along with the help. Due to the fact that most antidepressant medication is tested for adults, the risks of a young adult taking the medication might have severe side-affects, even cause damages to the brain.

Being informed about teenage Depression is very important, because with every person that can be cured, a life can be saved. With more and more people learning about Depression and how it can be prevented and cured, teenagers who suffer can be easily cured. Hopefully, within time, when that once depressed teenager wakes up in the morning with sunlight shining through their window, their eyes will no longer be exhausted from crying. There will be hope, and no thoughts of pain. Getting out of bed will be excitement, because the teenager will know that there is someone in the world that cares about them, and that alone is a great reason to get out of bed.