Living With & Treating Depression in Young People
RECOGNIZING, LIVING WITH AND TREATING DEPRESSION IN YOUNG PEOPLE ——————————————— Living with someone who is depressed can be a profoundly depressing experience ——————————————————————————— Parents of teens expect mood swings, highs and lows and challenges to authority that are part of normal adolescence. But being a parent of a depressed young person can be a very daunting, overwhelming experience. It often produces dramatic and frightening changes in their behaviour, emotional responses and relationships. You know your child so well, yet you may barely recognize the person your child seems to have become. ————————————————— 20 years ago depression was not diagnosed in young people. Today it affects between 5-15% of preteens and teens.Approximately 25% of all women will experience clinical depression in their lifetime ! 15% of all men !
Feeling “sad” is normal. Feeling “depressed” is not