Lifestyle Choices

You Are Not Alone

Many teens suffer from depression, therefore you are not alone. There are effective treatments and hence no depression is a hopeless case. You need to be patient with yourself. It takes time for the mind to heal just as it takes time for the body to heal. Wishing that the depression will disappear is not going to work. It will not go away immediately but it will, eventually. Continuing with treatment and therapy will ensure that that day will come even sooner. In the meantime, try to relax yourself, sort out your feelings and thoughts, and allow your mind and emotions to recover.

Keep Yourself Physically Fit

There is a saying: “a healthy mind in a healthy body“. In order to keep fit, one should do 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at least five days a week. Exercise keeps the body healthy. It circulates fresh oygenated blood to your organs while carrying waste products away. It helps maintain healthy weight, tones your body, takes away flabbiness and makes you look healthy. You develop a sense of confidence and well-being. Part of the reason is that exercise releases endorphins which elevate your mood and make you feel good, providing a natural “high”. Develop a habit to play sports, go jogging, swimming, bike riding or roller-blading. Even brisk walking is beneficial. The important thing is to do the activity regularly.

A study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (Dunn et al, 2005), involved people with mild to moderate depression who did various amounts of exercise for 12 weeks. All groups in the study, including those in the control group, who only did stretches, showed some improvement, but those who engaged in aerobic exercises had the best results. In that group, 46 percent of the people reduced their depressive symptoms by one-half, and 42 percent no longer qualified as depressed when the study ended.

Nutrition

As for food, it is well known that a balanced diet is vital for health. Conversely, an unbalanced diet can make you feel sluggish and tired, worsening symptoms of depression. You need a good mix of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Look up on what constitutes a well-balanced diet. You need to drink an adequate amount of water every day. Whatever is lost through sweating and in the urine needs to be replenished.

Helping Depressed Teens

If you have a friend who seems abnormally sad, who has stopped socialising and who is more withdrawn than usual, what can you do to help him or her? Is he depressed? First, know some common symptoms of depression:

• Your friend has lost interest in the things he usually loves to do.
• He looks miserable. t
• He skips classes and withdraws from activities.
• He is always talking about being bad, ugly, stupid or useless.
• He starts talking a lot about death or asks if you’d be better off without him around.

Depressed teens actually confide in their friends much more than adults, so you may find yourself being the first person that they talk to about their feelings.

Starting a Conversation about Depression

Starting a conversation about depression can be awkward, but you can say something like: “You seem like you are really down and not yourself. Is something bothering you? I really want to help you. Is there anything I can do?”

Know that your friend doesn’t expect you to have the answers. Just be there to listen. You do not need to provide any solution. Your friend probably just needs someone to listen to him and be supportive. By listening and responding in a non-judgmental and reassuring manner, you would have given invaluable assistance. Beware about spreading news about your friend’s problems to the rest of your classmates. Value your friend’s need for privacy. But urge your friend to talk to a parent, teacher or counsellor. It is often embarrassing for teenagers to approach an authority figure to reveal their problems if they have never done this before. Offer to go along for support.

Stick with Your Friend through the Hard Times

Depression can make people do and say things that are hurtful or strange. But your friend is going through a very difficult time, so try not to take it personally. Once your friend gets help, he will go back to being the person you know and love.

Speak Up If Your Friend is Suicidal

If your friend is joking or talking about suicide, giving possessions away or saying goodbye, tell a trusted adult immediately. Your only responsibility at this point is to get your friend help and get it fast. Even if you have promised not to tell, should you keep your promise? You may never see your friend alive again. It’s better to have a friend who is temporarily angry at you than one who is dead. Do not keep this crucial information to yourself. The life of your friend depends on you. If something happened to your friend and you did not inform anyone, you will have to carry the guilt for the rest of your life. It is a tremendous burden to bear.

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