1. Home Base November 12, 2014

2.  Sure, everybody feels sad or blue now and then. But if you’re sad most of the time, and it’s giving you problems with:  Grades and attendance  Relationships with family and friends  Substance abuse  Controlling your behavior in other ways  The problem may be depression.  The good news is you can get help and feel better  When depression is not treated, it can get worse, last longer, and prevent you from getting the most out of this important time of your life.

3.  Depression has been called the “common cold” of emotions.  Everyone has times when they feel “down” or “sad.” Examples: a friend moves away, relationship breakups, family trouble, being bullied, etc. DEPRESSION CONTINUUM Feeling Down or Sad Clinical Depression Where are you ? The closer you are to the right end, the more important it is to get help.

4. ALERT:  Knowing the difference between the daily turmoil of growing up and diagnosable depression may mean the difference between life and death. Left untreated, depression can lead to:  Eating disorders  Headaches  Sleep disorders  Relationship problems with family and friends  Poor health  Substance abuse  Self-injury (Cutting, scratching, burning oneself)  Suicide

5. Acute Depression  The temporary kind  Feeling sad or down  Short period of time  Cry easily  Feel guilty for no reason  Low self confidence  Negative attitude for a short time  Changes in sleep habits  Changes in eating habits Clinical Depression  The “I need help” kind  Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy  Isolating from family and friends  Loss of energy  Thinking about or actually injuring yourself  Feeling like dying  Thoughts about committing suicide

6.  Talk to someone  Parents  Teacher  Counselor  Clergy  Family doctor  A responsible adult  Take care of yourself  Exercise for an hour several times a week  Eat balanced, nutritional foods  Establish regular sleep habits (Go to bed, don’t stay up watching T.V. or playing Video Games)  Stay caught up on school work and chores  Find healthy ways to reduce stress  Go outside and get some sunshine

8.  Everyone feels sad or down sometimes.  Hurting yourself does not make depression go away  Talking to someone who cares is one way to deal with depression  Depression that lasts for a long time indicates that a person needs help to manage their symptoms  Things do get better!