why do teenagers have such a fascination with being depressed?

[fyleow]

Originally posted by: blakeatwork

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Because they're being exposed to the pressures of life/growing up for the first time, without yet having the necessary life experience required to effectively deal with it all.

And this is different from the previous thousands and thousands of years in the history of mankind how??

So teenagers before 2003 were never depressed?

 

[blakeatwork]

Originally posted by: fyleow

Originally posted by: blakeatwork

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Because they're being exposed to the pressures of life/growing up for the first time, without yet having the necessary life experience required to effectively deal with it all.

And this is different from the previous thousands and thousands of years in the history of mankind how??

So teenagers before 2003 were never depressed?

That was my point.... Astaroth said kids are exposed to pressures, responsibilities, blah, blah, blah.. and I replaied asking how that was any different then past history... kids it seems now are simply using it as an excuse to draw attention to themselves, by saying their 'depressed'...

Sorry if I wasn't clear...

 

[Schadenfroh]

i am going thru the depression thing right now. i believe its a chemical imbalance from loosing so much weight so fast and hormone imbalance, must be physical, i was perfectly content 2 years ago and everything back then is the same as now (material wise) dont have any friends. only people i talk to at school, as soon as i am at home, i stay home and have no contact with anyone in real life and i dont let anyone in real life know that i am depressed.

 

[BigToquex]

There are two things here that piss me off.

1. All the whiney fools who try to pass every single pussy ass event as something that causes them to be depressed. There is a big difference between being sad for a few days because you failed a class or got dumped. I know what its like to feel down for a few days... THAT IS NOT DEPRESSION so stop looking for attention hoping someone will feel sorry for you every chance you can get. Look at yourself really hard, becuase I know you want people to feel sorry for you. I was like that before.

2. People that try to say depression is bullshit. For the people it truly affects, it is everything but bullshit. Until you know someone who suffers, don't say anything.

 

[fyleow]

Originally posted by: blakeatwork

Originally posted by: fyleow

Originally posted by: blakeatwork

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Because they're being exposed to the pressures of life/growing up for the first time, without yet having the necessary life experience required to effectively deal with it all.

And this is different from the previous thousands and thousands of years in the history of mankind how??

So teenagers before 2003 were never depressed?

That was my point.... Astaroth said kids are exposed to pressures, responsibilities, blah, blah, blah.. and I replaied asking how that was any different then past history... kids it seems now are simply using it as an excuse to draw attention to themselves, by saying their 'depressed'...

Sorry if I wasn't clear...

I think Astaroth meant that happens to all teens, including those from the past. I'm sure there were depressed teens before this generation too. I'm a teen and yes I do get depressed sometimes although I'm not sure why. Things can be going good, but I think it mainly has to do with loneliness and direction in life (or lack thereof)

 

[CubicZirconia]

On another note, I think depression is a bunch of bullsh*t. Oh, you feel bad about yourself? So what, deal with it. Everyone else seems to be able to.

I can tell you that you won't be saying that when someone close to you kills themself because they are depressed. Try dealing with that.

 

[Cerb]

I dunno. I wasn't depressed, and I had very good reason to be.
Chicks? No.
Friends? No.
Health? Hell no. Couldn't even make it to school two days in a row, and eventually not even a complete day then.
...but I kept goin' on, and always saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and now I'm getting there.
I did not and do not get the teen depression thing. Your parents bought you a brand new civic, you got a good looking GF, not failing anything; I'm losing weight from not being awake long enough to go to school and eat, can't even manage two days without over 40 hours sleep, have no GF, no car, looking forward to a $400 rustbucket, and I'm feelin' a'ight about the world; WTF is with you, moping about all the time?

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: fyleow

Originally posted by: blakeatwork

Originally posted by: fyleow

Originally posted by: blakeatwork

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Because they're being exposed to the pressures of life/growing up for the first time, without yet having the necessary life experience required to effectively deal with it all.

And this is different from the previous thousands and thousands of years in the history of mankind how??

So teenagers before 2003 were never depressed?

That was my point.... Astaroth said kids are exposed to pressures, responsibilities, blah, blah, blah.. and I replaied asking how that was any different then past history... kids it seems now are simply using it as an excuse to draw attention to themselves, by saying their 'depressed'...

Sorry if I wasn't clear...

I think Astaroth meant that happens to all teens, including those from the past. I'm sure there were depressed teens before this generation too. I'm a teen and yes I do get depressed sometimes although I'm not sure why. Things can be going good, but I think it mainly has to do with loneliness and direction in life (or lack thereof)

The image I had in my head was that of James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, crying out "you're tearing me apart!" to his parents.. Teenagers today are no different from teenagers of years and generations past. The difference, I think, is the newish fad of the mass-marketing of anti-depressent pharmeceuticals. Being "depressed" appears to have become trendy of late. That and the refusal to accept personal responsibility for anything that goes wrong: "Pity me, for I have a chemical imbalance."

Boo forking hoo.

 

[PatboyX]

Originally posted by: CubicZirconia

On another note, I think depression is a bunch of bullsh*t. Oh, you feel bad about yourself? So what, deal with it. Everyone else seems to be able to.

I can tell you that you won't be saying that when someone close to you kills themself because they are depressed. Try dealing with that.

he wouldnt have any trouble dealing with that; the person obviously doesnt understand the depth of some peoples depression...but thats no reason to be rude about your understanding of depression.

 

[Dragon365]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Because they're being exposed to the pressures of life/growing up for the first time, without yet having the necessary life experience required to effectively deal with it all.

Seconded.

 

[her209]

Because its cool

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: Underground727
Because they want attention. That is why people do almost anything.

On another note, I think depression is a bunch of bullsh*t. Oh, you feel bad about yourself? So what, deal with it. Everyone else seems to be able to.

your words make no sense, you can be depressed and deal with it. they're not mutually exclusive.

 

[deerslayer]

Originally posted by: CubicZirconia

On another note, I think depression is a bunch of bullsh*t. Oh, you feel bad about yourself? So what, deal with it. Everyone else seems to be able to.

I can tell you that you won't be saying that when someone close to you kills themself because they are depressed. Try dealing with that.

Yeah no sh!t.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: Amorphus
because they see how its common, so its justified, and then they just dip into it and don't bother fighting it, or getting over it.

that's my theory, anyways.

plus the fact that teenagers are stupid

he is right. i am 17 and he is right. But not all teenagers are depressed. Some of us are angry. Other yet are supressing their depresssio or anger. It is maily because we are all being rold to fitin and be the same and not do bad things so we do them but to be the little bit rebelious we can we do it depressed so it seems we aren't enjoying doing it. There is only one other thought. We have hippy parents who have become yuppy parents and given into everything they protested against in there youth and a very select few teenagers realize that there is no point in being anything but a non-conformist because their parents did it and now they want to. Oh and there are those who have actual mental disorders not ADHD whichis the real bullsh!t.

 

[Kalpana]

Well I can't necessarily talk about depression as a teenager. It seems so long ago but I am sure I went through it. It was a struggle growing up in this society with super strict conservative parents and now my brother is going through it. I have no problem with those parents I just wish they would listen to us..and I mean really listen to us sometimes. But that is just a bunch of complaining about parents and what not and I am sure all teens complain about that.

However, I must say as someone in her early twenties I think I went through a fair share of depression in probably the last two years; when life was at a limbo about what direction in life I should take. And everything obviously is not in our hands in terms of applications, interviews, and what not. But there was a phase in my life that I seriously thought I was chronically depressed because I would just be down for no reason. I couldn't work up any enthusiasm being with friends and or from the simple pleasures in life that often made me very happy before. The only reason say this is because all people are not out to get attention because of depression. Other than maybe two or three people; I don't think anybody knew I felt this way. With everybody else I played myself off as the happy go lucky me. So the bottom line is that everyone does not suffer from depression as a source of attention-getter. However that doesn't mean every time someone is depressed they should run to the doctor and get prozac. I managed to go though mine and I have been fine for a while now.

As my (doctor) dad says, "Just about everyone is probably chronically depressed at one time or another in their lives. It is all a matter of how you deal with it."

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12

Originally posted by: Amorphus
because they see how its common, so its justified, and then they just dip into it and don't bother fighting it, or getting over it.

that's my theory, anyways.

plus the fact that teenagers are stupid

he is right. i am 17 and he is right. But not all teenagers are depressed. Some of us are angry.

Why? WHy just "angry" at nothing? I never got that either. I;d get pissed more often, but it'd be at something other than the world at large.

Other yet are supressing their depresssio or anger. It is maily because we are all being rold to fitin and be the same and not do bad things so we do them but to be the little bit rebelious we can we do it depressed so it seems we aren't enjoying doing it.

Yeah, which seems a bit bass ackwards.

There is only one other thought. We have hippy parents who have become yuppy parents and given into everything they protested against in there youth and a very select few teenagers realize that there is no point in being anything but a non-conformist because their parents did it and now they want to.

The thing is they seem to want to be nonconformists just to be nonconformists.
If you're not going to conform, don't. I had no problems with that.
But why make all the spectacle of it? Just call bullsh!t on it, do what you really want to and be done with it.

Oh and there are those who have actual mental disorders not ADHD whichis the real bullsh!t.

You keep your mental disorder, and I'll keep my ADD. Deal? I think I like it a lot better than I'd like whatever you've got.
(read: you obviously don't know anyone who has ADD, so why comment on it, showing off your ignorance?)

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: Kalpana
Well I can't necessarily talk about depression as a teenager. It seems so long ago but I am sure I went through it. It was a struggle growing up in this society with super strict conservative parents and now my brother is going through it. I have no problem with those parents I just wish they would listen to us..and I mean really listen to us sometimes. But that is just a bunch of complaining about parents and what not and I am sure all teens complain about that.

I think every teen did that. You bitch about it and try to get through to them, then a few years later realize they largely did the right things, and you'd probably do the same, with a few twists, to your kids.

However, I must say as someone in her early twenties I think I went through a fair share of depression in probably the last two years; when life was at a limbo about what direction in life I should take. And everything obviously is not in our hands in terms of applications, interviews, and what not. But there was a phase in my life that I seriously thought I was chronically depressed because I would just be down for no reason. I couldn't work up any enthusiasm being with friends and or from the simple pleasures in life that often made me very happy before. The only reason say this is because all people are not out to get attention because of depression. Other than maybe two or three people; I don't think anybody knew I felt this way. With everybody else I played myself off as the happy go lucky me. So the bottom line is that everyone does not suffer from depression as a source of attention-getter. However that doesn't mean every time someone is depressed they should run to the doctor and get prozac. I managed to go though mine and I have been fine for a while now.

Most people with real depression problems act very differently than the people who are doing it for whatever strange reason (maybe attention?) they do. People who are really depressed often try to act like they aren't, but it always shows in their eyes. You can tell if you look.

As my (doctor) dad says, "Just about everyone is probably chronically depressed at one time or another in their lives. It is all a matter of how you deal with it."

...and if you can deal with it, you're fine.

 

[dpopiz]

1 part wacked-out hormones
1 part stupid immature a$$holes that make me BREAK!

 

[hellfreeze]

Originally posted by: BigToque
There are two things here that piss me off.

1. All the whiney fools who try to pass every single pussy ass event as something that causes them to be depressed. There is a big difference between being sad for a few days because you failed a class or got dumped. I know what its like to feel down for a few days... THAT IS NOT DEPRESSION so stop looking for attention hoping someone will feel sorry for you every chance you can get. Look at yourself really hard, becuase I know you want people to feel sorry for you. I was like that before.

2. People that try to say depression is bullshit. For the people it truly affects, it is everything but bullshit. Until you know someone who suffers, don't say anything.

heh...one of my "wishes" has been that everyone will experience either a mild depression period for some time, or severe depression for a short time. cruel? hardly. enlightening? very

 

[Mrburns2007]

Geez this thread is filled with insight

Seriously though there is a huge genetic factor here that average people know nothing about. There was a story about how a man and woman who hooked up in a mental institution and the woman got pregnant. The baby was put up for adoption and when the guy reached the age of 16 or 17 he began having symptons of schizophrenia. Turns out that his father was schizophrenic and his mother was bipolar. He ended up in a mental institution himself but died from a sedative they gave him.

So genes play a role in the development of depression, bipolar illness and schizophrenia.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Underground727
Because they want attention. That is why people do almost anything.

On another note, I think depression is a bunch of bullsh*t. Oh, you feel bad about yourself? So what, deal with it. Everyone else seems to be able to.

congratulations. you are ignorant. maybe you should make yourself a little sign and hang it around you head (and put it in your profile) so everyone knows to ignore anything you say. it could say something like: "warning: if the dumbass wearing this sign speaks, please tell him to STFU" it could have a sound sensor and light up and flash whenever you try to talk. maybe it could even beep loudly to drown you out, and deliver electric shocks to discourage further infractions.

to say depression is bullshit is one of the most arrogant, close-minded, piece of sh|t statements i have ever heard. who are you to discount the feelings of another person. who are you to say you know the inner workings of a stranger's mind? if you had any knowledge of psychology, you wouldn't dream of even thinking that statement. you should try reading a book. yes, those strange paper things. or even look on the net. or take a class. you have only yourself to blame for your ignorance. if you have to resort to discounting and belittling a huge number of people in order to make yourself feel superior, i'd pity you, but i don't have enough sympathy. so fvck you.

in answer to the original question, people who are already depressed tend to have a relationship with their depression that cannot be explained to anyone who hasn't been there. they basically embrace it, even glorify it. this obviously makes no sense to people who are not depressed, but like i said, if you haven't been there, you have no idea what you're talking about.

as noted by others, feeling temporarily sad and being depressed are completely unrelated. if you've ever had a loved one die, take what you felt then and make it last over a period of months or years or decades with no outside cause or explanation, and you have a glimpse of what it's like.

 

[thirtythree]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
in answer to the original question, people who are already depressed tend to have a relationship with their depression that cannot be explained to anyone who hasn't been there. they basically embrace it, even glorify it. this obviously makes no sense to people who are not depressed, but like i said, if you haven't been there, you have no idea what you're talking about.

hm. I think I know what you mean. it's almost like I enjoy being depressed. I enjoy crying and listening to depressing music and thinking sad thoughts. sometimes I'll just be sitting there thinking about nothing in particular and the next minute I'll be choking back tears. I always feel tired and .. confused, like the world is passing me by in a blur. sometimes I wonder if I'm going to make it through the year and most of the time I don't want to. I don't know if any of that makes sense but oh well. I started this thread because I don't know whether I'm truly depressed or whether I'm just doing it to get attention or for some other reason.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: Deslocke

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
in answer to the original question, people who are already depressed tend to have a relationship with their depression that cannot be explained to anyone who hasn't been there. they basically embrace it, even glorify it. this obviously makes no sense to people who are not depressed, but like i said, if you haven't been there, you have no idea what you're talking about.

hm. I think I know what you mean. it's almost like I enjoy being depressed. I enjoy crying and listening to depressing music and thinking sad thoughts. sometimes I'll just be sitting there thinking about nothing in particular and the next minute I'll be choking back tears. I always feel tired and .. confused, like the world is passing me by in a blur. sometimes I wonder if I'm going to make it through the year and most of the time I don't want to. I don't know if any of that makes sense but oh well. I started this thread because I don't know whether I'm truly depressed or whether I'm just doing it to get attention or for some other reason.

i think there is a 3rd reason

 

[thirtythree]

Originally posted by: CheapArse
i think there is a 3rd reason

err okay. I'm not sure what that means but I need sleep. goodnight.

 

[gopunk]

in answer to the original question, people who are already depressed tend to have a relationship with their depression that cannot be explained to anyone who hasn't been there. they basically embrace it, even glorify it. this obviously makes no sense to people who are not depressed, but like i said, if you haven't been there, you have no idea what you're talking about.

sort of along the same lines, one of my favorite movie quotes:

Everyday you wake up the pain is a little less. Then one day you wake up and the pain is gone. But it's like you almost miss that pain because, you know, you lived with it for so long.