Teenage Depression

Lots of things are happening to you and it might seem like you have little control over them. Some of these
things are on the inside and what you are going through is normal. Others, however, may happen to you
and because you've never experienced them before, you don't know how to cope with them.
Things like: -

moving house or starting a new school
parents splitting up or remarrying
death of a family member or friend
bullying, whether at school/where you live/online
being let down by friends
the breakup of boyfriend/girlfriend relationships
feelings of uncertainty about your sexuality
self esteem/body image
peer pressure/parental pressure
exam pressure
a serious illness
finding a job or loss of a job
being abused, either currently or in the past
(abuse can mean lots of things such as neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse)

If someone is abusing you it is important that you tell someone so that it can be stopped. You have not
done anything wrong - it is not your fault. People you can tell might be a parent or other family member,
youth worker or teacher and there are helplines that you can phone for support: -

Childline 0800 1111

Depression is very common in all ages and it needs to be treated. Ignoring it makes it worse. The good
news is that with help, people recover. Talking about your problems helps you to understand yourself and
work out ways that you can cope with them. You don't always need medication, but it's always wise to
talk to your Doctor.

It's important that you can recognise the early signs of depression so that you can get the right help
sooner rather than later. You might: -

not be able to concentrate on things that you previously enjoyed
withdraw from family or friends and be spending more time alone
not take care of your appearance
have mood swings
not be able to get to sleep or stay asleep
not want to eat or eat too much
use alcohol or drugs to block out feelings
lack confidence in yourself or your ability to do things
have panic attacks or feel faint
have headaches, stomach aches or feel very tired
have feelings of hopelessness
have thoughts of self-harm or suicide

If you feel that things are too much for you at the moment and find yourself thinking about ending
your life, please, please talk to someone. Feelings change. Suicide is a permanent solution to a
temporary situation. Once you're dead there's no way back and the pain you are feeling now is passed
on to the family and friends you leave behind.

Telephone helplines: -

Lifeline 0808 808 8000
Samaritans 08457 90 90 90

You can phone to make an appointment to talk to one of our counsellors about anything that is
worrying you.