Tugas Explanation Text

 

Teen Depression

 

General Statement 

Teen depression is a serious mental health problem that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. According to research conducted by Peltzer and Pengpid, teens between the ages of 15-19 have the highest rate of depression. Many issues can cause struggles for a lot of teens. These days, more and more teenagers are falling into depression. It affects how teenagers think, feel and behave. Teen depression isn't just a temporary feeling that comes and passes over. It can have serious consequences and requires long-term treatment. But sadly, many parents are still neglecting the complication in teen depression. The talk about teen depression is still considered as taboo and not that important.

 

Causes

There are various reasons why teenagers get depressed. One of the reasons is academic expectation. In this ever competitive world, students are pressured to excel in all subjects in school. Students that do not perform well academically are often considered stupid. Pressure from family and friends also add up the burden that teenagers nowadays face. The change in hormone also contributes to teen depression. Changes in the body's balance of hormones may be involved in causing or triggering depression. 

Teenagers nowadays also face a lot of judgment from the society. They are being judged because they don't meet some standards. This adds up with the development of social media where people can criticize a person easily. Moreover, teen depression is associated with high levels of stress and anxiety, meaning that these two things can trigger a teen to experience depression.

 

Symptoms

Teen depression signs and symptoms include a change from the teenager's previous attitude and behavior that can cause significant distress and problems at school or home, in social activities, or in other areas of life, spending most of their time alone, changes in eating habits, neglecting friends even insomnia.

Long lasting emotional and behavioral changes might also indicate that teenagers get depressed. Parents should watch their teenager and be alert for emotional changes such as feelings of sadness, which can include crying spells for no apparent reason, frustration or feelings of anger, even over small matters, and low self-esteem. In more severe cases there are frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide, and loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities. Behavioral changes such as self-harm — for example, cutting, burning, or excessive piercing or tattooing and making a suicide plan or a suicide attempt are also a sign that a teenager undergoes a depression. Teen depression isn’t always the easiest condition to spot. However, with enough treatment teenagers can get the help they need. 

 

Prevention

It is very hard to distinguish the difference between a normal ups and downs in teenager life and a teen depression. There’s no sure way to specifically prevent depression, because depression is not a moral failing yet not a choice that teens wanted to be. In fact, family and friends may not be the best choice to be the cure of teen depression. On the other hand, the best action to take is to seek a mental health professional. It’s better to seek medical treatment as soon as possible to prevent other complications.

In the teen’s society, simple steps can be made. Such as avoiding certain stigmas, reaching out for friendship and social support, improving the society’s quality, and listening to teens without judging. These actions can be taken to reduce a minimum amount of stress that a teen feels. One thing to remember that teen depression is never a choice, it needs care from their surroundings.

 

Conclusion

At the end of the day, we need to raise awareness on this teen depression issue. Teen depression lack of coverage is the reason why the talk about teen depression is still limited. Teen depression is a serious mental health illness. Pressure to excel academically, judgment from society, and changing hormones are the reasons why teens might get depressed. A depressed teenager needs a medical treatment as soon as possible. However, teen depression can be prevented with simple steps such as improving society’s quality and avoiding certain stigmas. We are the part of the society, so we have a responsibility to prevent teen depression. Small changes can make a big difference in this society. 

“No one wishes to have dark days, sleepless nights, grumpy mornings, and this endless dark tunnel with no sign of ending. Teen depression is not a choice.”