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Depression
My Goliath Story
Written by Holly Tyler CIS-1020-001 April 05,2014

Table of Contents
Table of contents ........................................................................................................................................... i introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1 my story ................................................................................................................................................ 2 info ................................................................................................................................................................ 3 bibliography .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Page | i

Introduction
Have you ever felt helpless, worthless, or even just sad for and extended period of time? You may not even know why these feelings occur they may come for a number of reasons but one of these reasons may be because of depression. Depression can affect us and the people around us in many different ways; it can affect our schooling, family, and social life. Studies have shown that fifteen to twenty percent of teens, ages from thirteen to eighteen suffer from depression1. When this occurs in teens parents debate if its just a phase that their child is going through or if they should something that should be acknowledged by a doctor. The fact is that high school is hard, rumors are spread and things are said that hurt our feelings, these are common things that happen in every teenagers life. But when is it time to ask for help? If you constantly go through your day wondering if life is worth living or feeling worthless it is time to acknowledge these feelings because children and teens should know that every life is worth living, even their own. I myself have suffered from depression; I never knew that I was depressed until I was so far in the blues that I almost couldnt pull myself out.
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Impact of Teen Depression on Academic, Social, and Physical Functioning. Lisa H. Jaycox, PhDa,

Bradley D. Stein, MD, PhDb, Susan Paddock, PhDc, Jeremy N. V. Miles, PhDc, Anita Chandra, DrPHa, Lisa S. Meredith, PhDc, Terri Tanielian, MAa, Scot Hickey, MAc, M. Audrey Burnam, PhDc

My Story
I was always a happy child; I got decent grades, I was very athletic, had a good family and a hand full of loving supporting friends that I could always talk to. For that reason I never thought that depression was ever my problem until these feeling of helplessness over powered me and I questioned my willingness to live. This feeling hit me like a ton of bricks, crashing my world and anything that stood in its way. I remember the morning that I realized depression was my problem, it wasnt the fact my mother was taking me to school after I had missed over two months of class and the school administration had called my parents to tell them that I was not allegeable to graduate because of an excessive amount of absences, It hadnt dawned on me the week before when the college that was looking into me withdrew their invitation and scholarship to attend at their school and be on a University track and field team. It wasnt until I was speaking with my mother as she was lecturing me about how I was throwing my life away and I responded I dont care about my life. Everyday that I was up I wonder why I dont have the guts to move my car in front of a moving truck on the highway. My mother went silent, and after that comment I knew that I had a serious problem and if I didnt get help I would soon be gone from this world because deep in my heart I knew that I was serious and so did my mother. Acknowledging the problem is the first step, and asking for help is probably the most important step for helping better you. Your peers and adults cannot read your mind, so if you
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dont speak up there is no way for them to assist. The only way that I received comfort was to recognize my issue and confront it to someone. My life changes dramatically because I didnt encounter my problems and for that reason I didnt receive my scholarship for track or graduate
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with my class and created strain in my family and life.

Info
Depression affects us in many different ways; it takes a toll on us emotionally, mentally and physically. Studies have shown that teens that suffer from depression are more likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol which leads to a higher rate of drug and alcohol addiction as adults. (Drug Abuse & Addiction) Receiving proper help can be life changing, you can get help my talking to your counselor or by talking to your local doctor. If for any reason you feel like you are unable to communicate with someone close to you, call a hotline such as (310) 855HOPE (4673)2 and you will be able to ask any questions in confidence.

Some signs and symptoms to look for are:

Excessive sleeping or drastic change in sleep patterns (staying up all night and sleeping during the day) Mood swings Experimenting with Drug and/or alcohol Drastic weight loss or weight gain Acting out (truancies and/or criminal behavior) Change of eating habits Anxiety Reoccupation with dying or death3

This number is one of many numbers. If you would like to visit this site go to: https://teenlineonline.org/category/help-online/ 3 Symptom list from Helpguide.org

Bibliography
"Helpguide.org." n.d. Teen Depression: Guide for teenagers. April 2014. Lisa H. Jaycox. "pediatrics." 7 September 2009. April 2014. <http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/4/e596.full>.

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