There are many types of depression and you absolutely must look at an individuals depression in the context of their diagnosis. Keep in mind how commonly people with mental illnesses are misdiagnosed, and subsequently treated with medication to treat an illness, set of symptoms, or type of depression the patient has.

It is very challenging for a parent to be able to determine when their adolescent child is just going through a phase or actually crying out for help and showing obvious sign of depression. An individual does not necessarily have all of this symptoms but these are the most common symptoms and essential essential for psychiatric medical providers to determine if and what a patient has.

Persistently sad, anxious, angry, irritable, or "empty" mood

Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness

Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex

Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping

Decreased appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and/or weight gain

Fatigue, decreased energy, being "slowed down"

Crying spells

Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts

Restlessness, irritability

Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions

Depression manifests itself differently in each and every person that is affected by it so there is no magical formula to use but a good healthcare provider, openness and honest about what an individual is going through, recognition of an illness and a desire to get help are all necessary to get that individual and accurately diagnosed by a psychiatrist. They are trained to see things that you and I don't see so a consult with a psychiatrist can be helpful in determining if your child is just going through a phase or is displaying the outermost shell of a much deeper problem.

Even in modern times where we believe we are open minded and civilized we still have a serious problem socially about mental illness. There are so many stigmas that go along with any type of mental illness, osme of them are more conscious than other but they exist, within most of us. DO not let stereotypes about mental illness prevent you fro getting help or helping someone else who needs it. The mentally ill, the depressed are not always capable of asking for help in a manner that is easily identifable to those on the outside looking in.

Depression is a serious matter, especially to those experiencing it. If you are around someone you believe is suffering from depression please talk to them about it or make sure they get the help they need, it could be a matter of life or death, literally. Sean Patrick DeHoney