Teen Depression And Suicide - Teenage Depression Suicide

By Leeanne Utiger
Depression is all around us and many people suffer from one level of depression to another everywhere we turn. Some people have been diagnosed with depression and are receiving the medication they require to help them control their depression, while sadly others with depression have not been diagnosed and therefore are not receiving any medication or treatment what so ever for their condition. Amongst this group of people are also teenagers. Yes - teenagers can suffer from depression as well as adults. In fact depression can be a very serious condition for teens to suffer from. Teens who suffer from a form of depression and are not diagnosed and who often slip through the cracks (so to speak) can end up so severely stressed and depressed that they feel they have no option but to commit suicide. As I said depression is a very serious illness if not treated and medicated. In fact - depression can be a killer, and a killer amongst teenagers. The suicide rate for teens who have depression is astonishing.

Parents of teens have to be aware of the emotional state of mind that their teen is at. Even though a large percentage of teenagers who suffer from depression do not actually go through with the actual act of suicide, they will often think about it and consider suicide at varying times. As a teenagers parent, you have to be on guard (so to speak) for sign or symptoms of your teen suffering from a level of depression. Teenagers are susceptible to depression due to peer pressure and everything that comes with teenage years. There are varying factors and situations that can lead to a teen suffering from depression. This could be being picked on due to weight problems, to others putting a teen down for the way they look. These factors can contribute to low self esteem, which can therefore lead to depression. If the symptoms of depression are not recognized early enough, the teenager who is falling into a depressive state can often become suicidal and may even cause death to themselves.

If you are a concerned parent for your own teenager, voice your concerns to your family or local doctor. Bear in mind however, that teens with depression can be hard to diagnose for a number of reasons. Symptoms could also be symptoms of something else less sinister and the doctor may lean more towards that line of illness misguidedly. As a parent of a teen who appears to be suffering form depression you have to stand your ground and be firm with the medical profession. Too may teenagers have been let slip through the system and have ended up committing suicide and having the result being death! These teens are your children, you and your teen who is more than likely silently crying out for help and support deserve to be listened to and treated with respect. You need to support your teenager who may be showing symptoms of having depression and make the medical profession hear you. Do not be swayed away from your thoughts on what is wrong with your teen. You are the parent of your teenager, not the medical professional, and you are the person who is in close contact with your teen, therefore you are the one who is in the best position to notice strange behavior or radical emotional mood swings. You do not want your own teenager to start having thoughts of suicide and then to go home one day and find that your teen has in fact committed suicide. This could then lead to a depressive state for more than just your teen who was depressed enough in the first place to have committed suicide themselves.

If you notice your teenager becoming withdrawn, keeping more to him or herself, avoiding any socializing, appearing to have a lack of attention span, strange mood swings, then your teen may be suffering from a level of depression. I suggest you take action and do something about it immediately. Suicide is a killer!

See Also:
Teen suicide

Beat Stress and Depression

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