“It is easy to sit in the light and criticize those who are in the dark. The hard part is to show them a spark and bring them to the light.”
When an average person comes across the billionth tweet or the gazillionth post about depression, the common response is somewhat along the lines of — “Why should depression be such a huge social issue with so much debate? Don’t we have more serious problems — like cancer, poverty, war and hunger?”
Yes — at first glance, depression seems like one of those first-world problems that only the privileged classes are subject to. But in this day and age of globalization and connectivity, it is not only information that spreads quickly. Lifestyles do too. Depression in teenagers is becoming more prevalent. It is increasing the fastest among teenagers and it can be directly attributed to their lifestyles.
The common menace
Google designates it as a “very common” disorder. The numbers are in the tens of millions every year. And unfortunately, the trend seems to go only upward. To be sure, not every teenager who says “I’m depressed” every other day (sometimes for no better reason than boredom) is actually down in the dumps. Ironically, the people most likely to be depressed are least likely to admit they actually are. Many times, they might not even be aware that they are depressed.
The primary problem in the discussion on depression is that it is misunderstood by the majority. Most people associate depression in teenagers with heart-wrenching grief, zero communication, mood-swings, shutting themselves in a room for days on end and enough tears to fill up a lake. But the plain reality is that depression is far less dramatic, and hence far more dangerous. Simply put, it is a stage where the emotional meter is stuck at zero. Neither positive nor negative. Just days or even months of flatlining — where people lose interest in all activities of regular life. Symptoms may include changes in sleep, appetite, energy level, concentration, daily behaviour or self-esteem. It can also be associated with suicidal tendencies.
Root cause
The possible causes are biological, psychological and social sources of distress. Teenagers are subject to a nearly endless stream of peer pressure. Social media only makes it worse. When teenagers are in the doldrums, and they turn to Instagram for solace, they’re instantly bombarded with the perfect pictures of all the people they follow. Naturally, they feel even worse. The average teenager in this situation would only think — “Everyone else is having the perfect life. Why can’t I be happy?”
The onset of puberty and all the biological changes that bring about can also increase the chances of being depressed. But this is more short-lived than the other causes, generally. This issue is more acutely faced by girls who have to deal with the onset of menstrual cycles. The social stigma and taboo associated with it in some societies can only exacerbate the problem.
The treatment is usually medication, talk therapy or a combination of the two. The usual talk doesn’t work with the teenagers who’ve been diagnosed with depression. Suggesting campy, motivational stuff to those kids, is akin to criticizing a person who has asthma saying — “what do you mean you can’t breathe? Look at all this air around you!” Trained psychiatrists and psychologists are battling this social menace. Teenagers are the future. Everyone needs to acknowledge depression as a major issue. We need to be there for each other.
