Depression can be devastating …
especially if you don’t understand what causes it
and
what you can do to change it.
Although there are a number of reasons why people get severely depressed,
two main reasons stand out:
The first has to do with what is called
a chemical imbalance in the brain.
THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON.
Things like a serious change in sleeping habits, constant sadness, or crying for no reason
could be signs of depression caused by a chemical imbalance.
If you experience any of the above symptoms
or just feel constantly down much of the time and can’t figure out why,
don’t be afraid to ask someone to get you to a doctor for a checkup.
If you have to, just go by yourself.
You’d be smart not to put it off.
THERE IS SIMPLE MEDICATION TO HELP TREAT CHRONIC DEPRESSION
Statistics show that 90 percent of people suffering from depression respond favorably to medication.
That’s 90 percent.
Another reason for depression has to do with
what is called the “BLAME GAME”
The “blame game” is a phrase used
to describe teenagers who blame themselves
for everything that goes wrong in their family
no matter how obvious it is
they had nothing to do with it.
Teenagers are notorious for doing this.
From divorce to abuse;
from alcohol problems to adoption;
from drug problems in the family
to getting yelled at all the time,
it is always their fault.
Many would never stop and think that maybe,
just maybe,
it was not their fault,
but rather someone elses.
The “blame game”, however, is only half the problem when it comes to depression.
The other half has to do with what is called BLENDING. It is this BLENDING that can cause serious depression in an individual.
Blending is when people combine the bad things that happen to them in their family
with the amount of value they already have as a person.
For example,
“If it wasn’t for me, my parents wouldn’t be divorced. I really messed things up. What an idiot Iam.”
Or
“If I wasn’t such a bad kid, my father wouldn’t beat me the way he does. I can’t do anything right.”
“Me”,
“I”,
It’s all “my” fault.
When a person keeps putting him/her self down like this, one doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand just how much of a negative impact it can have on a person. Any first grader can add 1 + 1:
————1——-My parents got a divorce
(for example)
and somehow
——– –+1——-it must be all my fault
therefore
I
———-=2——-must be a bad person.
Any person who constantly beats him/herself down like this is bound to get depressed sooner or later.
A SUGGESTION FOR ALL YOU
WHO PLAY THE “BLAME GAME:”
For you people who play the BLAME GAME,
you need to understand that there are
two types of problems
people have in this world
and with you being a “people,”
you’re no exception. They are…
Problems YOU HAVE control over
and
problems YOU DON’T have control over.
For the problems you DO have control over,
problems like
getting your homework done on time,
curfew,
getting to school or work on time, etc.,
you need to take care of business.
Simple as that.
These are your problems
and
it is you who
needs to deal with them.
For the problems
you DON’T
have control over,
problems like divorce,
drug or alcohol use in the family,
verbal or physical abuse, etc.,
you need to PUT THEM ASIDE
and
GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE.
If you don’t believe it now,
believe it when you see it.
Unfortunately, it will be too late.
Let me give you a suggestion as
to how you can get the problems you have
no control over
off of your back:
First,
take a pencil or pen and a piece of paper.
Next,
write down everything
that is bothering you now.
I mean everything.
Problems in school, problems with parents,
problems with girl or boy friend, etc..
No matter how small, write it down.
After you do this,
take a look at each problem separately.
When you do,
put a “C” next to the problems
you have control over
and a “NC”
next to the problems
you have NO control over.
When you’re done,
look at the list one problem at a time.
See the problems with the “NC” next to it?
Take your pen and put a line through it.
Why?
Because they are ones you have no control over.
They are ones that have nothing to do with you but rather other people; people who may even be displacing their own personal problems onto to you.
Thus lies the bottom line to depression caused by THE BLAME GAME. That is…
NEVER,
NEVER,
LET OTHER PEOPLE’S PROBLEMS BECOME YOURS.
One can’t help but be depressed when this
happens.
Lastly,
see the problems that are left;
the ones with the “C” next to them?
Take care of business.
Those are the ones you should truly be concerned about.
When you can separate the
CONTROL problems
from the ones you
DON’T HAVE CONTROL over
without using a piece of paper,
I mean, doing it automatically in your mind,
then you know you’ve got it.
No matter what the cause of depression may be, one thing is for sure:
THINGS DO GET BETTER IN LIFE
IF
YOU WORK HARD TO SOLVE
THE PROBLEMS
THAT ARE CAUSING YOUR DEPRESSION
AND
YOU STICK AROUND
TO SEE THE RESULTS.
This means you must ask for help from someone.
Some people turn to family members for help. Others turn to friends or teachers. Still others seek out God.
No matter who makes you feel comfortable, get to someone as soon as possible.
If you make the effort to work on your problems,
your life will get better.
Unfortunately, not everybody believes this.
There are those who feel life can never get better for them.
They think nothing will ever change for them no matter what they do in their life.
Elinore Wilson certainly felt this way.
The true story of Elinore Wilson is a good example of this.
Elinore Wilson was a struggling actress back in the 1940s. She wanted nothing more than to be a star,
a movie star.
She auditioned for every part that came her way, no matter how small it was. She did get some bit parts here and there, but never landed the role that would put her name up in lights.
The lack of progress in her career made her frustrated, angry, and – finally – seriously depressed. When drinking and drugs didn’t help, she decided to end it all.
One day, Elinore trudged up to the top floor of a 40-story building in New York City,
walked out onto the roof,
and jumped off the edge,
falling to her death,
committing suicide.
Two days later, her agent received a phone call from a huge production company. The studio wanted Elinore to take the lead role in what would have been a major motion picture.
When the agent received the script, he was shocked at what he read.
You see, the role Elinore would have played was of a woman who was so depressed about her life that she climbed to the top of a building in New York City, walked onto the roof, and jumped off the edge, falling to her death, committing suicide.
Had Elinore sought the help she needed to work on her depression
and had she stuck around long enough to see the results,
she would have been the star she always had wanted to be.
Unfortunately, Elinore played out her role too soon.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
If your best friend
were constantly depressed,
would you try to help him/her deal with it ?
What would you do?
If you were constantly depressed,
would you try to help yourself deal with it ?
What would you do?
Would you do anything different for yourself than you would do for your best friend?
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How To Deal With Depression is reprinted with permission from ChoicesForTeens.com.