Category: Depression

Social media are websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Social media statistics from 2019 indicate 3.2 billion active social media users worldwide which is equal to 42% of the current population. (Globalwebindex, 2018) states that an average person spends approximately 2 hours and 22 minutes on social networks per day. Subjective well-being is defined as “a broad category of phenomena that includes people’s emotional responses, domain satisfactions, and global judgments of life satisfaction”. A more recent definition describes that subjective well-being consists of three elements: life evaluation, affect, and eudaimonia.

Media use consumes a substantial amount of time sacrificing valuable activities such as face-to-face communication between friends, family and other peers without providing appropriate functions for facilitating social relations, thereby limiting actual social encounters. Such displacement leads users to a negative sense of subjective well-being. (Kim, LaRose, & Peng, 2009) states that lonely individuals who find media to combat their issue of social isolation often end up aggravating their isolation further. Direct human contact has long served as an important means of forming societies. So, the absence of this means an individual loses opportunities to approach rewards (connectedness) and fails to avoid threats (isolation).

Social networking sites (SNS) have revolutionized modern communication drastically and have become rapidly integrated into daily life, which has significantly changed the forms of communication, with more of individuals social lives taking place online than ever before. As previous studies have shown that social relationships are an important determinant of subjective well-being, it is important to understand the effect SNS use has on subjective well-being. Social networking sites are online environments which enable users to create a public profile and connect with other users. This connection allows SNS users to easily share information, messages, pictures and life events. Of the SNS available, Facebook is by far the most popular with 71% of all American adult internet users reporting that they have a Facebook account (Pew Research Center, 2014). While social connection is the main characteristic of all SNS, each SNS has its own additional feature which can impact how the site is used, therefore, each SNS may affect subjective well-being differently. An experimental study found that individuals assigned to passively scroll through Facebook (as opposed to those who actively post and comment) reported lower levels of well-being and more envy, indicating not only that Facebook impacts mental health however also the way in which individuals engage with Facebook matters.

Previous studies which focused on social comparison on social media have investigated how it relates to subjective well-being, such as depressive symptoms, body image, as well as envy. These studies find that social comparison affects the user negatively. Social comparison has also been found to mediate the relationship between time spent on social media and depressive symptoms. Therefore, users who compare themselves to their peers on social media in a negative light will have lower subjective well-being than users who compare themselves in a positive light. This is validated within a recent study which investigated how the impact of social media use on life satisfaction declined over time (Kross et al., 2013). In a large population based study, Twenge and colleagues (Twenge, Joiner, Rogers, & Martin, 2017) found that time spent on screen activities was significantly correlated with more depressive symptoms. Therefore it is clear to state that it is possible that individuals with lower self-esteem or poorer self-image are more prone to engage in social comparison. This is supported by Young and Rodgers as they argued that a depressive person, with low self-esteem, a fear of rejection, low motivation, and a high need for acceptance by others, is more likely to use the Internet dysfunctionally. This is further shown throughout statistics which prove Facebook and Instagram usage link to symptoms of depression, both directly and indirectly. Higher usage of Facebook has been found to be associated with lower self-esteem and loneliness. Higher usage of Instagram is correlated with body image issues. This is deleterious upon individuals subjective well-being because people are known to use social media not just for communication but also as a way of seeking attention. For this reason, social media profiles tend to contain the positive or impressive aspects of people’s lives. Profiles are mostly ‘highlight reels’ rather than accurate reflections of people’s lives and, since there is no real-world interaction, users are unable to gauge non-verbal signals which might contradict the tone of posts, meaning users can be unaware that they are seeing a distorted version of the truth thus, comparing themselves to images that are unrealistic. Social media sites can encourage us to engage in negative or un-invited social comparisons which make us feel bad. One study showed that the longer someone has had a Facebook account for, the more likely they are to believe that life is unfair, and that other people’s lives are better or happier than their own (Chou & Edge, 2012). Interestingly, there is a positive correlation between time spent on Facebook and levels of depression, regardless of whether users assess that they are doing ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than other people. These studies imply that people will have a more realistic view of other people if they reduce online communication and increase real-life interactions.

Recent research has suggested that high engagement in social networking is due to the ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO). FOMO is “a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent”. Higher levels of FOMO have been associated with greater engagement with Facebook, lower mood/well-being/life satisfaction, mixed feelings when using social media, and dangerous SNS use (i.e., in university lectures, and or whilst driving). In addition to this, research suggests that FOMO predicts problematic SNS use and is associated with social media addiction, as measured with a scale adapted from the Internet Addiction Test.

The accessibility of smartphones has been identified as a key factor in excessive internet use (EIU) thereby, consistent social media usage. Compulsive engagement with a smartphone is likened to an array of behavioural addictions and has a detrimental effect on an individuals subjective wellbeing. It is associated with decreased academic performance, life satisfaction and academic success, heightened levels of perceived stress and decreased quality of sleep. One thematic analysis on social media use highlights a number of shared stressors, including negative emotions such as ‘aggravation’ caused by the onslaught of ‘unwanted content’, and feelings of ‘no privacy’, with users feeling unable to unsubscribe. Relationship stressors included arguments regarding who partners were speaking to online, while other negative outcomes included feelings of inferiority or jealousy, by users negatively comparing their lives to the online lives of others. These qualitative findings are supported by many quantitative research pieces showing that, for example, subjective wellbeing declines in both the short and the long term. In adolescents incidents of cyber-bullying, social isolation/comparison as well as depression are reported impacts of social online engagement on mental wellbeing.

Finally, throughout the repeated evidence stated above within numerous articles and journals, it is definitive to come to the conclusion that the negative effects which social media place onto an individuals subject well-being is crucial and detrimental to one’s emotional, physical and psychological state as well as their overall human behaviour (interactions). This is due to the effects which social media places upon oneself such as social comparison and social isolation leading to depression, loneliness and a lowered self-esteem.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or otherwise popularly known as OCD is one of the most widely spread disorders across the country today. As individuals, we each have small habits that make us feel better, but we can also live without them. For example, we can think of something as “lucky” or have a regular routine that feels comforting. But for people who experience obsessive-compulsive disorder, these behaviors are much more severe and disruptive and are driven by unwanted and recurring thoughts that the person cannot control. It is not always easy to understand, but this disorder traps people in endless cycles of repetitive thoughts and behaviors and can cause dysfunction in a person’s life. This research paper will, therefore, discuss the mental illness known as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the impact it has on a person suffering from it. This paper will further discuss the diagnostic criteria of OCD with examples of how these criteria manifest in behavior and the different treatment options for treating it as well.

Definition and Classification of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (DSM-V)

OCD stands for Obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is a neuropsychiatric disorder that affects children, adolescents, and adults all over the world. It is a psychological condition which involves primarily two kinds of symptoms where you have obsessions and compulsions. Despite the many research attempts to find the exact cause of OCD, it has proven futile. However, OCD is considered to have a neurological basis with neuroimaging studies showing that the brain functions differently in people with the disorder (CMHA National, 2018). Abnormalities or an imbalance in neurotransmitters, including serotonin or dopamine are thought to be involved in OCD. In certain individuals, OCD could be triggered by a combination of genetic, neurological, behavioral, cognitive and environmental factors (International OCD Foundation, 2018).

Typical Diagnostic Criteria examples of OCD and how these criteria manifest in behavior

Obsessions may involve persistent fears of being prone to danger or injuring someone else, or of a loved one being harmed. People with OCD may have repeated thoughts such as “I must have left the door unlocked” or other obsessions may have to do with questioning one’s sexual identity and constantly attempting to seek reassurance on one’s sexuality. Also, fear of loss of impulse control, or a sense that one will act out and do something “crazy”, resulting in constant contemplation of inflicting harm on others or of self-harm. These thoughts can cause one to avoid sharp objects or knives, areas of perceived danger or possibly social interaction for fear of what may occur.

Compulsions, on the other hand, are repetitive behaviors that an individual feels the driven need to perform or engage in response to an obsession. People with OCD cope with their obsessions by using repetitive ritualized behaviors which may include frequent hand washing, checking things (such as locks or stoves), counting (example: counting certain items over and over again), rearranging objects persistently and repeating words. OCD, as unique as each individual, often centers around certain themes. A general theme about OCD is that obsessions concern situations where there is some degree of uncertainty (what if “X” happens and I did not do enough to prevent it?) (Clark, 2009). These themes are not limited to the ones we see on TV such as germaphobia. This is a term used to describe a pathological fear of germs and infection. These themes can also involve body dysmorphic disorder, scrupulosity or religious OCD in which people doubt the love they have for their partner or vice versa (EverydayHealth.com, 2018). These obsessions are recurrent and persistent thoughts that are experienced by an individual which trigger intensely disturbing feelings, which in most cases are marked by anxiety or distress.

Compulsive rituals are all about trying to get assurance, support and certainty. Someone with OCD might be afraid to throw anything away and have a strong emotional attachment to many things they own. On the other end of the scale, someone with OCD might turn down a lunch date or other social activities to stick with their cleaning schedule. These obsessions and compulsions are time-consuming and most at times, people with OCD realize that these thoughts do not make sense; however, they are unable to control them. Ignoring or making an effort to stop your obsessions may be accompanied by intense and uncomfortable feelings such as fear, doubt, or a feeling that things have to be done in an exact way. Ultimately, you feel the drive to perform compulsive acts to try to ease the stress. The symptoms of OCD are not attributable to the physiological effects of any substance such as the use of drug, or medication. The content of the obsessions or compulsions is not restricted to the presence of any other disorder. Example, hair pulling in the presence of Trichotillomania or preoccupation with the use of drugs in the presence of a substance abuse disorder (CMHA National, 2018).

Diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Most people have obsessive thoughts or behaviors at some point in their lives, but this does not place them in the category of suffering from a mental disorder. There may be some challenges in making a diagnosis for OCD since the symptoms of the disorder appear similar to those associated with anxiety disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and a number of other mental illnesses. Diagnosis for this disorder should be done by an interview with a trained professional. When the symptoms get to a point where it gets in the way of functioning or causing a great deal of distress, this is when a trained professional will conclude if the person meets the criteria for diagnosis for the disorder (International OCD Foundation, 2018).

Description of how OCD impacts on a person’s life

Dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder can be very challenging and hard to explain to other people. One may feel ashamed, uncomfortable, or guilty about their experiences, and as a result, these feelings can make it hard to seek help. Because of the nature of OCD, people can spend hours and hours a day having these disturbing thoughts or carrying out these behaviors. Not only do these people experience extremely high anxiety levels, but the disorder also comprises their ability to work and have a normal life. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, many people describe OCD as something that takes over their life, and this is not easy to deal with. People living with OCD experience a number of detrimental effects due to their condition. Some of the possible outcomes of living with the disorder include; isolation. A person dealing with OCD is under an immense amount of pressure to complete their rituals. The time spent performing these compulsive behaviors is exhausting, and this can cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. This can lead to isolation and loneliness which usually worsens when the individual avoids leaving home because some public situations may trigger the need to do the rituals. The constant thought of thinking one is “crazy” is also an effect people living with obsessive-compulsive disorder have to deal with. Apart from the stigma mental illness comes with where people are labeled as “crazy”, people who continuously have these intrusive thoughts that intrude on their everyday life, coupled with strong urges to perform certain behaviors and rituals may begin to think they are “crazy” if they do not understand the condition (CMHA National, 2018). People with OCD display symptoms such as signs of depression, excessive worry, extreme tension, and the constant feeling that nothing ever goes right. Depression can cause an individual to lose interest in pursuing their life goals, and can, unfortunately, drive a person to attempt suicide if left untreated. According to “Everyday Health”, over 66% of suicides have depression as a factor (EverydayHealth.com, 2018). Depression not only affects the mind of an individual, but it also affects the individual’s body. Some of the physical effects of depression may include inconsistent sleep patterns, loss of appetite, constant fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, back pain and other physical symptoms. OCD can go a long way in affecting the physical health of an individual. Individuals living with OCD experience incredible pressure as they feel a strong urge to perform their rituals and perform them properly. In long-term, this pressure and the exhaustion due to working the rituals for hours each day can lead to skin infections and ulcers. For example, those whose ritual involves hand washing several times per day can develop serious skin lesions and infections. (CMHA National, 2018).

Treatment options used in curing OCD

The best advice to people suffering from OCD is to educate themselves about their condition. As with any persistent illness, understanding the disorder can help one become well-informed about the disorder. This will help you to cope with the illness more effectively. People dealing with OCD or any other mental illness should learn the things that ease or ail their symptoms. This way, they can come up with an effective coping approach. Obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment may not result in a cure, but it can bring some symptoms experienced by the individual under control so that they do not rule their daily lives. Approximately, 1% to 2% of the Canadian population will experience an episode of OCD; a high possibility exists more women experience the disorder than men. The majority of individuals report onset in late adolescence or early adulthood, with very few people experiencing the first onset after 40 years of age. (Clark, 2009). While others may need treatment for the rest of their lives; some individuals may experience significant improvements with treatment, while some may achieve remission. People dealing with the disorder and their family members should be educated about the chronic nature of the disorder and how it is likely to persist if not treated effectively. OCD also affects the entire family of the person who has it. Usually, the family members have difficulty accepting that the person with OCD cannot stop the disruptive behavior. This may arouse feelings such as hurt when a loved one is experiencing distressing symptoms of OCD. Aside from this, families still play a major role in the treatment process of the person with the mental illness. They can learn ways to encourage and support the individual to seek help and follow through with treatment. According to “Psychology Works Fact Sheet: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder”, a type of therapy known as the cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT has proven to be an effective treatment method for helping people with most types of OCD (Clark, 2009). This particular method teaches the individual about how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors work together and suggest different coping mechanism skills such as problem-solving, managing stress, realistic thinking, and relaxation. This therapy works to manage psychological conditions, such as OCD by changing the way people think and behave. For OCD, some of the common therapies may include an approach called exposure and response prevention (ERP). With this therapy, a person is gradually exposed to situations that provoke obsessive thoughts but is prevented from performing the usual compulsive ritual (Clark, 2009). For instance, if the person is obsessed with cleanliness, they may be asked to touch a dirty cup and then wait for a predetermined length of time before washing their hands. This helps the person to learn new thought patterns and behaviors about their obsession with dirt. Even though this form of therapy involves a lot of effort and practice, it goes a long way in rewarding the person with a better quality of life. The basic idea behind exposure and response prevention is that compulsion allows obsession to exist by interrupting the habituation process. The habituation process is what causes a person to have less interest in a certain event once that person has witnessed the same event many times. For example, if your friends threw a surprise party every day, you would eventually stop being surprised and thrilled. In the same manner, if the compulsion did not exist, the obsession would become less and less thought-provoking until it eventually disappeared (CMHA National, 2018).

Once a compulsion is fulfilled by an obsession, the person feels a temporary relief of anxiety. The relief serves to reinforce the compulsion as a reward, and it becomes a continuous cycle. That is to say, without compulsion, obsession would not occur and vice versa. According to ‘Psychology Works Fact: Sheet Obsessive-Compulsive’ disorder, studies have shown that 76% of individuals who complete treatment (13 to 20 sessions) will show significant and long-lasting reductions in their obsessive and compulsive symptoms” (Clark, 2009).

Another remedy for OCD can be with the use of prescription medications. Most medications used to treat OCD affect levels of serotonin, a compound present in blood platelets that acts as a chemical messenger in the human brain. The most effective treatment drugs for OCD are antidepressants such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, and sertraline. These medications fall under a category known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The SSRIs work to increase the levels of serotonin in certain areas in the brain, which is usually low in people with obsessive-compulsive disorders. A nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor known as clomipramine is also commonly used (CMHA National, 2018). Some of these medications may have side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, or appetite changes. Immediately an individual experiences the above symptoms, the issue must be reported to the doctor. A negative effect on the use of drugs for the treatment of a mental illness is the possible addiction or dependence on these drugs. According to research, treatment is said to be the most effective when both the behavior therapy and medication are combined together. (CMHA National, 2018).

Conclusion

Although there has not been a profound cure for OCD, and its exact origins are not exactly known by science or medicine at this time, there is help offered to those who suffer from compulsions, obsessions, and intense anxiety created by unwanted thoughts and inaccurate beliefs. The first step toward treating the disorder is to seek out the help of a therapist or a skilled professional through a medical clinic, mental health facility, or with the help of family members or friends. The effects of OCD can wreak destruction on an individual’s life, so, understanding and being knowledgeable about the chronic illness makes one become an expert about the disorder and can help in a long-run with how to cope with the disorder effectively.

Huntington’s is a disease in the brain, Huntington’s disease affects the Neurological and nervous system. Huntington’s disease is passed on from generation to generation through an altered gene from your parents. Huntington’s causes the death of brain cells in parts of the brain causing slow loss of cognitive ability, physical and emotional functions. Huntington’s disease is a serious and debilitating disease for which there is currently no cure. The most noticeable symptom of Huntington’s disease is jerky movements that is also known as chorea, Chorea can start mildly that gradually increases. Someone suffering from Huntington’s disease can also struggle with swallowing, concentration and speech as a result of this.

The cause of Huntington’s disease is an altered gene, this gene has been passed down to a child from their parents, although this gene is passed down at birth Huntington’s disease condition is not noticeable right away. The symptoms of Huntington’s disease normally first show themselves when the patient is in their middle years. Huntington’s disease is a slow, progressive disease that can affect patients differently. Someone suffering from Huntington’s disease might live for fifteen to twenty-five years after the first signs appeared. Diagnosing Huntington’s disease is based on the family history of the disease, genetic testing, and assessment of neurological, emotional and physical symptoms.

There are a few symptoms of Huntington’s disease, these symptoms are split up between three different areas that are classified as emotional, physical and cognitive symptoms. Physical symptoms include mild twitching in fingers and toes, the habit of knocking objects over, decreased coordination and having trouble walking, jerky movements in the legs and arms, having trouble swallowing and speaking. Cognitive symptoms which include loss of memory (short term), having trouble concentrating and making or sticking to plans. Emotional symptoms include behaviour issues, mood swings, aggression and depression which is experienced by about 1/3 of the people suffering from Huntington’s disease.

There is currently no cure or treatment to stop or reverse the affects of Huntington’s disease known.

The way they diagnose Huntington’s Disease is by testing close members of your family for a history of Huntington’s disease or the Huntington’s gene, by running genetic testing to locate the Huntington’s gene, as well as assessments of neurological, emotional and physical symptoms. The gene of Huntington’s disease can be passed on from biological parents with Huntington’s or parents carrying the Huntington’s gene having a child, that child then has a fifty percent chance of getting the gene from their parents and developing the disease. Patients who can possibly have the gene can take a gene test to see if they have the Huntington’s gene. To have the test for Huntington’s you are required to be at least 18 years of age. Deciding if you would like to have the test to identify the gene or not is a difficult decision that requires a lot of thought. A lot of organizations offer counselling to help people who have Huntington’s disease and their family, carers, and friends to cope with the genetic result.

Huntington’s disease has a lot of impacts on both the patient and their carers, family, and friends. Huntington’s disease can have an impact on the ability of the patient to perform their ADL’s, a person with Huntington’s disease may seem more careless. For example, they may not clean the house correctly or may fail to maintain the usual standards of personal hygiene due to their symptoms or as a result of their mental state. Patients might be impacted by disorders affecting movement that are commonly linked with Huntington’s disease that includes both involuntary and voluntary movement issues and impairments in voluntary movements, involuntary movements like Involuntary writhing or jerky actions, issues with muscles contracture or muscle rigidity which can also be called dystonia, not normal or slow eye movements ,impaired posture, gait, balance and difficulty with the physical production of speech or swallowing. These can make doing everyday activity hard to complete without help. Patients can also have cognitive disorders as a result of their Huntington’s including having trouble organizing, focusing or prioritizing tasks, decreased flexibility or repeatedly getting stuck on a thought, action or behaviour, not being able to control impulse that can result in outbursts in anger or behaviour issues, acting without thinking about consequences or sexual promiscuity, lack of awareness of their own behaviours or ability, difficulty or slowness in processing thoughts or getting the appropriate words and difficulty learning new information. Huntington’s patients also can have psychiatric disorders like depression. This is not simply a response to being diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. But instead depression looks to take place because of brain injury and subsequent changes in the function of the brain because of the effects of Huntington’s disease. Signs and symptoms may include some of the following; Feeling sad, not wanting to be social and withdrawing from social activities, feeling irritable and agitated, feeling tired and fatigued and feeling like you have no energy, suicidal thoughts of death, dying. Other psychiatric disorders might include: Having OCD (Obsessive compulsive disorder) which is a condition that is diagnosed by repetitive behaviours or actions. Mania which might cause elevated moods, impulsive behaviour and inflated self-esteem and over activity. Bipolar disorder which is a condition that effects an alternating mental state of depression, mania and as well as the above symptoms might include weight loss, which is common for people suffering with Huntington’s disease especially when the disease is progressing.

The needs of both a patient suffering from Huntington’s as well as family and carers vary, one of the most common needs for people going through Huntington’s themselves or someone experiencing someone else going through Huntington’s is the need for Counselling and support to deal with the sudden and often confronting diagnosis. Other needs might include Information and education about the disease, Practical help within home support or accommodation/ respite. Ongoing support for carers and family, holiday and volunteer/activity programs or just assessment and referral help. Help can be found by contacting your local GP as well as local services to help with psychological and other symptoms. Getting referrals from your doctor to talk to councillors regarding your concerns or through various state/national organizations.

References

1. What Is Huntington’s Disease? – Huntingtons. (2019). Retrieved 3 November 2019, from https://huntingtonsqld.org.au/huntingtons-disease/what-is-hd
2. Huntington’s Disease – Brain Foundation. (2019). Retrieved 3 November 2019, from https://brainfoundation.org.au/disorders/huntingtons-disease/
3. Huntington’s disease. (2019). Retrieved 3 November 2019, from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/huntingtons-disease
4. Huntington’s disease – Symptoms and causes. (2019). Retrieved 3 November 2019, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/huntingtons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20356117
5. http://www.hdsa.org/
6. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
7. http://www.huntington-study-group.org/
8. http://www.hdfoundation.org/
9. https://huntingtonsqld.org.au/huntingtons-disease/what-is-hd
10. https://brainfoundation.org.au/disorders/huntingtons-disease/
11. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/huntingtons-disease
12. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/huntingtons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20356117

“The Yellow Wallpaper,” a short story written in 1892 by Charlotte Perkins Gilman was intended to bring attention to the women facing the oppressive nature of gender roles. The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s project, “The Yellow Wallpaper” is to make readers aware that women suffer post-pregnancy given that the author herself suffered nervous disorders post her own pregnancy. Gilman had a successful life and much of her works were meant to implement on women’s unequal status of marriage and financial independence. Gilman reached the status of mental illness and her treatment (rest-cure) had made it only much worse, however, she managed to live a long productive life pursuing to help others who are in the same state as she was in. My topic is meant to expand on the elements the author, Gilman, uses to show how dealing with women and mental health is a serious matter especially given the time era where women were oppressed due to the significant play in gender roles and domestications. The narrator, in “The Yellow Wallpaper” suffers post-partum depression, which nowadays has proven to be a sickness. However, the unnamed narrator’s illness is worse due to society, her husband, and her brothers’ condescending demeanors towards a serious medical condition. She undergoes the effects of domestications loss of human value, depression, gender roles, bias, controlled education, & limited opportunities as she is imprisoned by her husband, John.

Gilman places the two male characters, John & the narrator’s brother in a way where they are superior to the narrator. She uses them to emphasize the emptiness of a life cut off from society & social gatherings. Given the fact that John uses his diagnosis to treat his wife in such an inadequate way. John is a physician and he does have intentions of curing his wife, however, he may not take it as seriously as she explains it to be. Falling into his gender roles, John treats his wife by insisting that their “beautiful getaway” will be a great treatment to restore her normal senses. John portrays himself as the dominating source to the family and he exemplifies his role in society by going about his work duties as a doctor as described in the narrator’s words, “John is away all day, and even some nights when his cases are serious….John does not know how much I really suffer” (Gilman 2). Another way John is bound to the societal norms of gender roles is shown with how he keeps his wife constrained physically, emotionally, and mentally in a nursery room. John belittles his wife and views his wife more like an adornment for the home. He keeps her away from writing, work, and outdoor activities which only insist that women are seen as less of a person and more of an adornment. In The Yellow Wallpaper, the author describes Jane as if she’s about to slip into insanity by, “I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day he takes all care for me, and so I feel basely ungrateful not to value it more” (Gilman 2). The author selects the word choice “all care for me” to describe the control he has over his wife’s life. Although John had positive intentions, Jane shouldn’t have had to feel less of a human in order to adhere to John’s view on superiority or dominance of the male gender.

Happiness: a complex limitation. Something Sylvia Plath struggled to achieve her entire life and incorporated into her novel The Bell Jar. As we read, we go into the depths of her life and how sexism, a lack of moral support, and her constant feelings of failure cause her to slowly fall into a deep state of depression that dominates her life as she knows it. Esther is a very unstable character which synches with this very unstable novel. Before and after Plath wrote the novel, she attempted suicide many times. It wasn’t until 1963 when the tragedy had finally happened. In The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath uses the expectations of young women in the 1950s and further examines Esther Greenwood’s search for self through her first relationship with Buddy Willard and her struggles of depression and the renewal of suffering.

Esther Greenwood, the protagonist of The Bell Jar. She felt she never fit in with the people around her no matter how hard she tried. Yet, she is very intelligent and worked extremely hard. She had just graduated college and won a scholarship to a Ladies Day magazine in New York. Esther, a middle-class girl struggles to keep up with the people around her. She becomes preoccupied with the Rosenbergs, and always seems to have them in the back of her mind. The Rosenbergs were electrocuted but it is unknown why. This was her worst nightmare and couldn’t possibly imagine having that happened to herself. “The idea of being electrocuted makes me sick… I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like, being burned alive all along your nerves. I thought it might be the worst thing in the world.”(1) Esther always had an odd obsession with death. When she heard what had happened, the story was following her everywhere she went, as if it were a ghost. Esther didn’t care about who died as much as she cared how they died. The physical process of the Rosenbergs death is what horrified her the most. Esther had no one to blame for what went on in her mind but herself, but in reality many factors contributed to her madness. One major contribution was the fact that her father died when she was nine years old. The memory of esther’s father resurfaces many times throughout her life. She never got over the fact that her father was dead. Death possess a tight hold on esther which plays a big role in her mental illness.

Buddy Willard, the antagonist of the bell jar. He was Esther’s first and only boyfriend, someone she could finally see a future with. He was incredibly intelligent, outgoing, and attracted people left and right. Although he had all of these great qualities from afar, up close he was hypocritical and felt a sense of masculine superiority. He constantly made esther irrational, insecure, and ignorant. She always felt she had to keep up with Buddys confidence, but mentally and physically she couldn’t. As Esther is trying her best to live up to his expectations, he cheats on her.“What I couldn’t stand was buddy pretending i was sexy and he was pure when really all this time he’d been having an affair with that tarty waitressand must have felt like laughing in my face.” (79) Esther was already very unstable, but now buddy pushed her over the edge and she couldn’t get back up. He was her only hope at fitting in with society in the 1950s of having a husband. Esther had no hope left of herself because of him.

In the 1950s women’s expectations were exceedingly high and hard to accomplish. Esther struggles her whole life as an outcast trying to fit in with the so called “normal”. As she begins her internship, she soon realizes how different her life is compared to the people around her and gets caught up in the pressure. “So poor she can’t afford a magazine. Then she gets a scholarship to college and ends up steering New York in her own private car. Only i wasn’t steering anything, not even myself. I felt very still and very empty, the way the eye of the tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo.” (2, 3). Esther grew up in a small house with little money, not ready for the real world. As she enters the college life she was blessed to have overcome the middle class and received a scholarship. People that live in New York find it thrilling and exciting. Esther finds her new home as dizzying, tiring, and depressing no matter how hard she tries to adjust to her new life. In addition, Esther was a writer but knew she had an entire world waiting for her to explore, she just didn’t know where to start. Plath explains how Esther knew there was great opportunities for herself but could never take initiative because she was never clear on exactly what she was searching for. “When they asked me what I wanted to be I said I didn’t know. ‘Oh, sure you know,’ the photographer said. ‘She wants,’ said Jay Cee wittily, ‘to be everything.” (24). It seems as if her peers have more faith in her than she does herself. Esther aspires to take on new skills and experiences that she wildly dreamt for. Yet she finds herself doubting her dreams and crippled by indecision which leads her nowhere but uncertainty.

As a woman growing up in Esther’s time period, there was sex roles and strict expectations for men and women. Women had a lot of pressure to get married, be a great wife and stay at home mom. Esther never felt that she was fit to meet these expectations no matter how hard she tried. “One of the causes of Esther’s depression is her worry that she would not make a good wife for all of the following reasons: She cannot cook, stands too tall, does not have the patience, and dances poorly and awkwardly. She feels as if she will never be the person everyone expects her to be.”(novels for students). When reading the novel esther continues to feel displaced in every thing she does. There isn’t simply one thing Esther can say she is good at because she doesn’t have the confidence and continually brings herself down. As the novel continues, Esther attempts to date and finally finds someone she could see herself with. She already has low self esteem and then finds out she had been cheated on.“What I couldn’t stand was buddy pretending i was sexy and he was pure when really all this time he’d been having an affair with that tarty waitress and must have felt like laughing in my face.” (79). Esther finally had the slightest hope that she was finally fitting in with society. When that was quickly taken away from her, she hit rock bottom and couldn’t get out. Esther had no hope left and was left with her questioning everything in her life more than before.

Bell jar: a bell-shaped glass cover used for covering delicate objects. It symbolizes Esther’s depression and how she is the delicate object that needs to be protected. It distorts her view of life and keeps her isolated with nothing but her thoughts. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to escape. “wherever I sat—on the deck of a ship or a street café in Paris or Bangkok—I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air.”(135)

Esther was surrounded in her negativity and dullness. She does electroshock therapy and though it cleans her mind, she still feels as if there is a bell jar hovering her, ready for her to fall at any moment.

The very first sentence of the novel explains Esther’s worst fear. The thought of being electrocuted made esther sick. When reading the novel, irony starts to appear when its least expected. As esther’s depression gets worse throughout the story she gets put in a mental institution. She has to face her fears when the people who work at the institution put her through electroshock therapy to help her. “Then something bent down and took hold of me and shook me like it was the end of the world.(49) Esther felt this was more a punishment than a cure to help her because it was painful and left her lost. She wasn’t intelligent anymore and could barely hold a thought together. “Everytime i tried to concentrate my mind glided off like a skater into a large empty space.” (202)

The irony in the bell jar is not only did Esther’s biggest fear happen to her, but she lost the few remains she had of herself.

Sylvia Plath goes in specific details of Ethers life and her struggles of search for self and sex roles in the 1950s. The time period that the book takes place in makes it harder for Esther to get the help she needs. Expectations of women were higher than ever. The entire book cover to cover is unstable and is unable to grasp a purpose much like esther.

What is depression first? Depression is the common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act and if you’re going to ask me if we should talk about depression my answer is yes, because depression is not a joke and people need a shoulder.

Why am I telling this to you? Because I want you to open your mind and for you to be aware. The reason anyone gets depressed, always comes down to the consistent thoughts we think, and the consistent beliefs we hold. If I conceive I am thin, horrible, ugly and unworthy of love, I will most likely become depressed or have depression thoughts, if my thought process is “I must be in a relationship and earn million to be happy” I might get depressed if I don’t achieve those goals.

It’s important, we it’s learn why we stick down, and then how we can modify it, because believe it or not, we create our own negative feelings and we can also ensure that we turn our lives around and be a positive change for others.

I desire you to recognize that, no matter where you are in life, No matter how low you have sunk, No matter how bleak your situation is, just hang in there. I know it may be hard right now, but if you really just hang in there, stick it out, stay with me for a little while. You will see, that this tough moment will pass, and, if you are devoted to using this pain, employing it to build your character, finding a greater meaning for the pain, you will find that, in time, you can reverse your life around, and help others going through the same struggles.

The point here is that anyone that is depressed, because they have lost something outside of their control, or don’t have something that is out of their control. The most usual causes for depression are: a lost a job, relationship breakdowns or non existence, body image, compared to others. I’ve seen some people, whom many would consider to “owns it all” end their lifetime because they thought they were not good enough. A thought, a belief within they told them they were not worthy. These people that many were jealous of, many envious of, were not good enough.

You must value yourself enough, to take the time every single day to work on your. To engage in something, that will insure you are a positive influence on the Earth. This of course doesn’t mean life will suddenly be perfect. The same life-challenges will show up, but if your mind is strong, if your mind is at peace, your reaction to the challenging times will be very different. Your reaction will be how can I make this work, not ‘why is this happening to me. And then others will look to you, not with pity but with hope, because your strength will become their hope, their strength.

Don’t ever give up. You are worthy. You are more than worthy! You deserve to experience how great life can be – and you owe it to the world to be that positive change for others. To inspire others – who will look at you and say – he did it, she did it, and I can do it too.

In this essay, I want to discuss the problem of teenage depression. What comes to your mind? Nowadays many teens commit suicide due to being depressed, that they’re under too awful lot of stress, and they’re underneath pressure. I chose this topic because I know many young adults can relate to it, and as for me, it is an issue that is handy to talk about and understand. When you hear ‘depression’ and ‘teens’, what conclusion is drawn into your head? What do you see? Is it vital for human beings to realize depression in teens? Is adult depression and teen depression identical and how can we tell? What are the signs and symptoms of depression? How is depression caused? To know the answers, let’s discuss this trouble some more.

Depressive disorder is a disorder that results in the moods, thoughts, and conduct of those who are struggling with this issue. When a terrible day turns into a terrible week, it later turns into a bad month. Depression regularly starts in teens in their 20s or 30s, but it can show up at any age. More women than guys are diagnosed with depression, but this might also be because women are extra probable to search for therapy than men would. Experts estimate that 5% of all teenagers suffer from depression. Depression frequently gets worse as time goes on if it is no longer handled correctly, which consequences in emotional, behavioral, and health problems that can affect that person’s life. Unfortunately, only 20% of depressed teens are identified and handled appropriately. The signs and symptoms of depression in young humans can differentiate them from adults. Symptoms can be missed if we don’t recognize what to seem to be for.

Parents and teachers may assume that a younger man or woman is moody or unhappy simply due to the fact it’s a natural section of being young. Risk elements for depression are that youth are under stress and have experienced loss. Younger children, who develop depression are likely to have household records of such disorders. Human beings need to realize depression in teens because it is not identical in adults. For most teens, depression symptoms slowly go away with cures, such as remedies and counseling. Teens express their depression in many different ways other than sadness. Examples of complications that are related to depression include pain, physical illness, alcohol and/or drug abuse, anxiety, panic disease or social phobia, isolation, suicidal feelings, and/or feasible suicide tries or suicide.

Parents, teachers, family, and even buddies must be conscious of these signs. At this moment proper now there are many young adults struggling with interior barring having any person there to guide them when they’re feeling low. Nobody deserves this type of feeling, but I trust it is given to those who are robust and ought to combat it til the end. This all stood out to me because of how sensible it is that many lives rely on different people’s want to help.

In conclusion, depression in teens is a very integral issue. This calls for action! We should be the ones to be there for anyone that is hurting by means of being there for them before they damage themselves or any individual else.

Discussion

The main aim of the study was to identify the association of depression, anxiety, and stress with initiation of tobacco use among undergraduate dental students of Moradabad, India. The study shows the prevalence of moderate to severe depression, anxiety and stress is 14.4%, 33.70%, and 16.04%. This is lower than the study done among Melaka Manipal Medical College, Malaysia students wherein the percentages are 30.7%, 55.5%, and 16.6% respectively17. The prevalence of depression is found to be highest in first year while prevalence of anxiety and stress was found to be highest in final year students. Hawazin W. Elani et al conducted a systematic review and found that academic factors (84%) are the main sources of stress, anxiety, and depression, followed by the clinical factors (63%) 18. As the study was conducted one month before the examination, so workload, examination, and grades are most important contributing factors causing stress, anxiety, and depression among undergraduate dental students. As the dental students have to perform well in academics as well as surgical aspects of dental care, including performing treatments on patients to qualify as a competent dentists. In confirmation to previous studies (T.L Ravishankar et al, S. Kumar et al ) examinations were one of the most potent factors of stress, anxiety, and depression among all the year of students19,7.

Tobacco use is one of the most common tools that is used to cope with anxiety 20-23 (Park and Breland, 2007; Parrott and Murphy, 2012; Perkins et al., 2010; Slopen et al., 2012). Self-report studies have shown that one of the main reasons of tobacco use is to reduce stress, and anxiety and induce a state of relaxation 24-26 (Aronson et al., 2008; Fidler and West, 2009; McEwen et al., 2008).

A nationwide survey also shows that people primarily use tobacco to manage their anxiety and stress levels (American Psychological Association, 2012)27. It is found that 44.6%, 25%, and 29.5% of dental students initiated tobacco users who are suffering from depression, anxiety, and stress. Sekhon et al. considered tobacco use as the negative coping mechanism by the students to relieve stress and anxiety 28. A few studies (16.7 percent) suggested changes in dental students’ behaviors like smoking habits in relation to high-stress levels18. Gordon and Rayner, in a study of dental students in Africa, described smoking practices and found that students reported “examination stress” and “relaxation” among their reasons to smoke29.

20.57% dental students were tobacco users before joining the institution and 32.51% dental students started tobacco using after joining the institution while the initiation of tobacco use was found to be highest in final-year students. The final year students had more workload, clinical as well as academics as compared to other years of graduation30. As final year students might be more stressed about learning clinical procedures as during this period most of the advanced clinical procedures are learnt and practiced31 (Zac morse et all). One of the other reasons might be insecurity among students regarding career establishment after graduation is the major issue affecting the students in India. Another reason might be heavy competition among students to achieve job in abroad and to get admission in post-graduation (S. Kumar). The association of stress and anxiety with initiation of tobacco use was found to be significant. This suggests that stress, and anxiety are might be trigger factors for initiation of tobacco use among dental students. Several studies have confirmed the stressful nature of dentistry and the stress-related problems among dental students32-33(Newbury-Birch et al., 2002; Gordon and Rayner, 2010; Plasschaert et al. 2001).

The reassessment of the existing educational system towards more student-oriented could help collaborative learning among the students, which may have a positive effect towards difficulties faced during their course of study34. Many intervention studies have evaluated such programs for dental students, including specific courses, stress-reduction programs, introduction to behavioral sciences, and faculty-incorporated advising systems35 (Howard et al).

In our opinion, it would be better for more experienced dental professionals and dental educators to recognize that there are stressors of different types and that these need to be managed. The institutions should plan a regular counselling programs for students to cope with stress and anxiety. Positive coping mechanisms should be encouraged from early years of graduation among dental students.

The meaning of the word “depression” has changed drastically over time. Some time ago, the word “depression” used to mean “An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way a person eats, sleeps, feels about himself or herself, and thinks about things,” according to UCLA Health, but in today’s world, “depressed” is used as a generalization for being sad. Even the current dictionary definition isn’t completely correct. The Oxford English Dictionary claims the definition of depression is “a state of feeling sad” or even “a mood disorder marked especially by sadness.”

The term depression or depressed is vastly misused. People use this word when in reality, they are just sad, or feeling under the weather. This is not the correct use of the word. Depression is not the same thing as a passing mood of feeling blue or sad. It is not a sign of personal weakness. It cannot just be wished away. You cannot just, not be depressed or simply, just be happy.

Throughout history, the true definition of depression has been highly debated. One of the first few explanations of the word was by Hippocrates. His early understanding of the word was a “state of fear and sorrow.” Quite some time later, in the 1920s, Kurt Schneider, a German psychiatrist, defined two different forms of depression, each with its own definition. The two types were “endogenous depression,” which resulted from changes in mood, and “reactive depression,” depression resulting from reactions to outside events, yet the only real difference between the two was the severity of the case. Rollo May wrote the book Love and Will in 1969, defining depression as “the inability to construct a future.” A few years later, in the early 1980s, Albert Ellis, an American psychologist, declared that depression, unlike “appropriate sadness,” stemmed from “irrational beliefs.” Ellis continued to write that sufferers are “ill-equipped to deal with even mild setbacks.”

Scientists and physicians have been trying to define what depression is, medically. In 1952 The American Psychiatric Association tried to standardize the definitions of mental illnesses. Depression was listed under the broad category of “disorders without clearly defined physical cause,” which also included schizophrenia, paranoia, and mania. In 2013 the DSM-V was published with depressive disorders having their own chapter. The diagnostic criteria were mostly unchanged from the previous version, with the exception of one additional symptom: “Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful).”

There has been some discussion of changing the word for depression, that is diagnosed depression or “clinical depression,” because the word has been so misused. Society seems to not understand what depression truly is because the term is used so loosely. Depression is one of the worst and one of the hardest burdens to bear. Depression takes over one’s life, you no longer want to do what you used to love, you either don’t want to eat at all or you can’t stop eating. Depression makes you feel like you are chained to a rock and are slowly sinking, and sometimes drowning, with no hope of ever being rescued. Depression envelops your mind, body, and soul. Depression feels like a criminal, trying to take away everything you once were.

The loose definition has been massively used among middle schoolers to young adults. While most people don’t find their misinterpretation to be at all harmful, this misuse of the word “depression” and/or “depressed” also pushes the narrative that depression is not a real illness. Personally, I have found this to be commonly the case in some cultural groups such as my own, where there is an attitude of ‘sucking it up’ and that ‘it’s in your head so you control it.’ Depression is misconstrued as laziness, unwarranted spending, and reckless behavior described as ‘spoilt and ungrateful.’ Anxiety, which commonly comes hand-in-hand with depression, is weakness and panic attacks are ‘dramatic’ or, I quote, ‘brought on by yourself.’ These damaging misconceptions about depression are extremely damaging. It makes those who suffer feel like their problems are not real and don’t deserve the proper help or respect.

Although the true meaning of depression has been widely debated over hundreds of years, depression should never be taken as a joke or seen as a made-up illness. It is important that even as society continues to try and find the meaning of and reasoning behind various mental illnesses, people continue to be supportive and loving of others.

Depression among teenagers is a growing problem! Teenage is a tough stage of life that one can pass through. Some teenagers face this period of their life strongly and positively, while others face it with many obstacles and problems. It all depends on the environment they live in, by whom they were raised, their friends, their education systems, and many other factors. But one of the biggest problems that is growing rapidly in our society today is depression among teenagers, which is neglected by many and often mistaken for typical teenage behavior. This problem is very well known as one of the most common psychiatric disorders. I think being a teenager can be really hard and it is perfectly normal to feel sad or irritable every now and then, it is just moody changes. But the big problem is what should teenagers do if these feelings and sensitive emotions do not go away or become more instance. Depression among adolescents is a serious mental problem that causes a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. It affects the way a teenager thinks, feels, and behaves, and can cause emotional, functional, and even self-harm, and even can lead to suicidal thoughts.

A person has more than one sense of what is positive and what is negative, but in certain cases, the feeling of a particular feeling may last and is likely to be negative, such as depression. Depression is very different from sadness, sadness is a natural feeling for anyone in their life, while depression is a psychological condition that negatively affects people’s daily activities. Feeling sad is a normal reaction to stressful situations in life. For example, being sick, losing someone we love, having problems at school or home, and loneliness, these are all situations that lead to the feeling of sadness which causes depression. Some teenagers overcome these negative feelings, while others are not able to cope well. Their sadness may become overwhelming, and this is a sign of depression. It occurs when a person feels sorrowful all the time. Their feelings may interfere with family life, school, or work. “Maryann, who is a thin girl, described herself as ‘a skinny little thing’. She had no appetite, wasn’t able to sleep, and felt really sad down below like there was nothing fun, nothing worth doing. ‘Sometimes you feel like a maniac. You do very, very stupid and crazy things’”. As was stated in the New York Amsterdam News article ‘Scars of Adolescent Depression Run Deep’, which explains various aspects of depression in teenagers and the attributes of young adults between the ages of 13 and 18 who are suffering from depression and its terrible causes. “About one in 20 children and adolescents have serious depression or major depressive disorder (MDD), according to experts, and they have a completely different outlook on life than those who don’t suffer from the illness. Nothing seems to matter to them, and they have a lot of mood swings. They don’t talk to people that much and tend to withdraw from the world”. Symptoms of depression include a lack of interest in any activity, loss of desire to enjoy the world, introversion, isolation, negative thinking, pessimism and looking at things through a black lens, feelings of guilt, tendency to blame oneself, as well as lack of physical and sexual activity, lack of sleep or tendency to sleep and rest, and lack of appetite or overeating. It can be harder than that because failure to treat adolescent depression can cause many emotional, behavioral, and health problems that affect every part of a teenager’s life, which may cause a person to think about some physical harm.

Teen depression is not a weakness or something that willpower can only overcome. It is a disease that can have severe consequences and requires long-term treatment. Sometimes feelings of depression become so strong that a teen may consider suicide. This mental illness affects teenagers just like adults, and the risk is that depression is accompanied by suicidal tendencies at a time when teenage suicides are increasing. That is why parents and guardians should pay attention to the signs and symptoms. They should know the treatment methods and be aware of the danger of risk that their teens might be in before it is too late.

Why bad decisions instead of seeking help? If symptoms and signs of depression persist and interfere with the life of the teenager, or cause the emergence of suicidal thoughts, as well as cause a threat to the safety of the teenager, teens should talk to a psychiatrist, because the symptoms of depression will not disappear on their own, but will increase with time and cause some problems if not treated. Depressed adolescents may be at risk of suicide, even if the symptoms do not appear severe. It was illustrated in the same article when the Autor stated: “As she described her third suicide attempt, Maryann paused often to take a deep breath. ‘It felt good, you know, the blood flowing out of my body. And every single little drop, it was life flowing out of me. I wanted to die. I wanted to die”.

Why would someone choose to end up his life by committing suicide? It is actually hard to think about death, but in a situation and many other teens’ terrible cases, they think that life has become a trap. They think that it will be better to be released from life, but death is an enemy. No one is pushed to it. It seems such an easy decision to make because these teens are in a tough situation that is pushing them to choose suicide or harm themselves. Suffering from depression may seem normal to a regular person, but to the teen who is facing it is feeling the discomfort and the pain that would allow him to end his life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2016 (the latest available data), there were nearly 45,000 Americans aged 10 or older died by suicide due to the factor of depression and anxiety. It is the 10th leading cause of death among young people and one of the leading causes that is on the rise today.

It is growing rapidly throughout the whole world. It is not an issue that we can turn our heads from and hope it can go away just by itself. We as families, brothers, sisters, parents, or guardians have to work it out to find a solution to solve this huge problem.

Unfortunately, most teenagers who suffer from depression do not get help, and they may not want to get help because they are always alone, but when not treated, it can get worse. Depression is not their fault, and they did not do anything to cause it. However, as a sister to 3 teenage brothers, I think that they do have some control over feeling better. It is so hard to get better. I feel their struggle as teenagers facing many obstacles in life because moving from one chapter in life to a new one requires strong personalities and hard.

I would suggest the first step to do is to go ask for help and talk to an adult that they trust. They are not alone, help is available everywhere if they seek help and want to get treated. There is a saying by John Heywood that I believe is true: “You can lead the horse to water, but you cannot make it drink”. With that being said, it is all about perseverance and persistence. It can seem complicated to be open-minded to talk to people about bad experiences unless the teen is brave enough to speak up.

No matter how despondent life seems right now, there are always many things that can help out to solve the problem of depression. It is very normal to feel blue occasionally or to feel down for a while after something bad happens. It is very typical. There are ups and downs in life. But when it lasts for weeks or months, it can eventually dominate teenagers’ lives. It is very important to know the symptoms. Sad or irritable mood, loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable, loss of energy, and some frequent thoughts of suicide and death. In today’s society, it is very important to ask for help and offer help to teenagers, those who are trying to recognize their identity and find their place in society. They need guidance to fight depression because it is a serious issue that negatively affects how they feel, act, and think. This is a huge problem that should never be ignored.