Depression; What to watch for.
Depression: What to watch for.
By Haley White.
Are your grades dropping? Are you always tired?
Do you just not care?
Are you having thoughts of death?
These, along with other feelings can be signs of severe depression or suicide. Don≠t ignore them!
So what symptoms should you look for in yourself or your friends?
-Loss of or increase in appetite.
-Drug or Alcohol use.
-Self Mutilation.
-Feeling numb.
-Sad symptoms that last over a month.
-Frequent head or stomachaches.
- Frequent absences from school or an unusually poor performance.
-Outbursts of anger or uncontrollable crying.
-Chronic Boredom.
-Isolating yourself from others.
-Acting confused or getting confused a lot.
So what should you do if a friend is feeling this way?
-Ask if there is anything you can do.
-Ask questions like, how, what, when, and where.
-Talk to parents, teachers, and/ or guidance counselors.
-Don't give up until someone helps you.
-NEVER- ask your friend why he or she feels depressed. Let your friend tell you without your asking them.
-NEVER-tell someone they shouldn't feel depressed; they need to own their feelings.
So what should you do if you are feeling this way?
- Ask for help: Call your doctor, your pastor, your school counselor, anyone who can help you.
- Don't get down on yourself.
-Don't try to mask your feelings or drown them in drugs or alcohol.
-Listen to music
- Talk to friends
-Go outside on a sunny day, the UV rays will help stimulate your brain.
-Do some sort of physical activity, such as running, hiking, swimming, etc.
-Do wall squats (stand against a wall so you feet are a little over a foot from the wall and slide down until you're in a sitting position and hold it. The burn you feel will burn your adrenaline and help calm your nerves.)
-Stand in a door way and push your arms against the trim in an upward direction for about 45 seconds. This will also burn adrenaline as well as give you a cool feeling when you are done.
But...
- DON'T -Drink coffee: the caffeine and sugar are not good for you.
- DON'T- Take other people≠s antidepressants. Besides being illegal to share someone≠s medicine, these can take up to three weeks to take effect and may make you more depressed or suicidal. This is because the drug will give you energy before it starts to affect your brain in a positive way, giving you the energy to commit suicide. If you feel you need some medicine, call your health care provider and talk about treatments.
For additional information, contact:
- the Statewide Information and Resource Center at 1-800-499-0027
- the Statewide Crisis Hotline at 1-888-586-1122.
Other resources include:
mainesuicideprevention.org
nameimmaine.org
safeyouth.org
preventyouthsuicide.org
afsp.org
metrock.gov/health/glbt/youthsuicide.html
teen-matters.com
save.org
www.coolnurse.com/suicide/html
www.nihm.nih.gov/publicat/friend.cfm
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