Adolescence Depression

HELP ME” read the note. He pasted it on a fourth-floor window, before killing 17 and himself at a school in Germany. Robert Steinhaeuser, a 19-year-old, had been expelled by the school and apparently sought revenge. Armed with a pump-gun and a pistol, he went into the school and started shooting randomly.

Priya (not her real name), till a few years ago, was a happy and a playful young one. She is 16 and is not attending school. Affording education isn?t the problem for her parents. “After the death of her father she is not able to cope with the pressures of life”, says her mother. Priya suffers from depression. Worst of all, last year, she nearly committed suicide.

Although, geographically and symptomatically poles apart, Priya and Robert suffered from the same illness. If only their parents or teachers had recognised those early signs of depression, surely, their situation wouldn?t have been so catastrophic. Every adult remembers that adolescence is marked by rapid emotional, intellectual, and physical change. So, when a teenager seems depressed, parents, schools, and health providers often attribute the signs of depression to “just a phase the teen is going through” and expect her or him “to grow out of it.” However, many teenagers, at a given time, do suffer from major depression, which may lead to suicide, impair development and quality of life, cause conduct problems and, in some cases, may be related to violent behaviour.

Depression can be a transient response to many situations and stresses. In adolescents, depressed mood is common because of the normal maturation process, the stress associated with it, the influence of sex hormones, and independence conflicts with parents.

It may also be a reaction to a disturbing event, such as the death of a friend or relative, problems with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or failure at school.

Homoeopathy has one of the best treatments for adolescence depression. It is a highly evolved system when the treatment is to be based on mind symptoms. It goes far beyond the conventional system, Homoeopathic medicines are able to flush out the impressions created in minds by stressful events. It has specific medicines for symptoms of depression arising out of different situations ? situations as varied as the loss of a loved one, indignation, domination by peers, sexual abuse, etc. It would treat both Robert and Priya (the above mentioned patients) as two different cases. Robert would be taken as a case “of suppressed anger with violence”, and Priya?s case as depression arising from the “loss of a loved one” whereby the prescription would be different for both of them.Homoeopathic medicines like natrum mur, staphysgaria, lycopodium, ignatia, nux vomica and carcinocin are some of the important ones often used in treating depression. Psychotherapy and counselling also have a major role to play in the treatment of adolescent depression

HOW TO RECOGNISE DEPRESSION IN YOUNG

Signs of depression

• Persistent sadness and hopelessness
• Withdrawal from friends and activities once enjoyed
• Increased irritability or agitation
• Missed school or poor school performance.
• Changes in eating and sleeping habits
• Indecision, lack of concentration, or forgetfulness
• Poor self-esteem or guilt
• Frequent physical complaints, such as headaches and stomachaches
• Drug and/or alcohol abuse
• Thoughts of death or suicide

This feature ( authored by Dr. Vikas Sharma ) was earlier published in The Tribune(north India?s largest circulated daily newspaper). .You can mail him at vikas@drhomeo.com