1. Discovery Health: Depressionhttp://health.discovery.com/diseasesandcond/encyclopedia/2847.html Teen Health: Depressionhttp://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/depression. html National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association: Stories of Depressionhttp://www.ndmda.org/storymenu.html

2.  Depression is just a feeling; you can snap out of it if you try hard enough.  Only a few “crazy” people really get depressed.  Depression only happens when bad things happen.  It’s easy to make yourself feel better.  There’s nothing you can do to treat depression.  Medicines like Prozac and Zoloft are “happy pills.”  Only adults suffer from depression.  Therapy is just lying on a couch talking about your childhood.  Anti-depressants can help anybody with depression.  There is no outward or obvious sign of depression.  People with depression never experience extreme highs.

3.  1 out of 4 women and 1 out of 8 men will suffer at least one episode or occurrence of depression during their lifetime.  3-5% of teenage population suffers from clinical depression every year

4.  Depression is linked to poor school performance, truancy, alcohol and drug abuse, running away, and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness.  The past 25 years has seen a dramatic increase in depression amongst teens and young adults

5.  Depression is treatable. 80-90% of people with depression can be helped.  Pyschotherapy  Anti-depressants (medication)

6.  Often people do not know they are depressed, so they don’t ask for or get the right help. Teenagers and adults often fail to recognize the symptoms.

7.  It is normal for teenagers to be moody; teenagers don’t suffer from real depression  Myth: Depression can affect anyone at any point or time in their life.  Depression is not a weakness but a serious health disorder.  Fact: People who are depressed need professional treatment.  Talking through feelings is a great way to help a friend recognize a need for professional help.  Fact: Real friends will help to encourage a friend to trust an adult who can help to initiate professional help.

8. 1. Describe why you think different people become stressed over different things. 2. Name three things that you think would reduce the stress you feel at school. 3. Read pages 378-379 and answer questions 1 and 2.