Myth: Depression is a passing feeling and will just go away after some time.
Fact: Depression is a major medical condition. It does not simply go away after days of shopping or nights of partying. It is a serious condition involving brain patterns that can affect one’s life and functioning. It can even cause harm to the person suffering from it or to his loved ones.

Myth: Depression affects the mind and rarely affects the body.
Fact: Depression can cause serious pains to the physical body. Common manifestations of depression are irritability, anxiety and despair. However, it can also cause chest pain, headache, back pain, digestive problems, sleeping problems, nausea and vomiting, muscle ache, and change in appetite.

Myth: Positive thinking can cure depression.
Fact: As depression is a serious medical condition affecting the brain, most people suffering from it cannot bounce back by mere optimism. Depressed people need to seek professional help to achieve a balance in brain chemicals.

Charlie Bartlett is one of the recent movies that discussed the reality of teenage prescription drug abuse. It is a comedy-drama film that revolves around the character Charlie Bartlett, played by Anton Yelchin.

Charlie is a teen who came from a wealthy family yet attends a public school after being expelled from different private academic institutions. Other actors in the film are Robert Downey Jr. as Nathan Gardner, the school principal; Kat Dennings as Susan Gardner, Charlie’s love interest and the principal’s daughter; and Tyler Hilton as Murphey Bivens, the school bully. Nathan is an alcoholic, Susan smokes a lot and Murphey beats other students while an assistant films it. These characters have basically covered a lot of teen issues.

Charlie, as the new student in school, was initially unable to fit in. However, by acting as the students’ resident psychiatrist and supplying prescription drugs (with Murphey in charge of selling the drugs), he was able to gain influence in the community. He feigned symptoms during psychiatric sessions and was able to get prescriptions for several medications from different psychiatrists, a strategy also known these days as “doctor-shopping.”

Aside from prescription drug abuse, parent’s alcohol abuse, nicotine abuse and school bullying, the film also presents the issue of teen depression and suicide. One of the school’s students, Kip Crombwell, suffers from depression and attempts suicide by drinking the drugs Charlie has supplied. His depression was rooted on the need for acceptance and low self-esteem.

Some critics thought that the movie lack a clear train of thought, but others see it as a movie that embraced the many different pressures that teens face in their lives. The movie was released in 2007.

Parents have a responsibility to always check the welfare of their children and see to it that they are away from serious danger. Here are some things to remember when dealing with a depressed teen:

1. Offer support and let them feel you are there to help them. Express your unconditional support. Let your child speak freely about what he feels and listen to what he has to say.  Do not judge. Do not criticize. Do not lecture.

2. Acknowledge their pain and take their concerns seriously. Do not underestimate their feelings. Do not try to talk teens out of their depression, although their concerns may appear shallow to you. Remember that this is important to them and that it may be difficult for them to open up about it.

3. If your teen tells you that nothing is wrong, although you feel in your heart that there is, trust your instincts. Be persistent but be gentle at the same time. Denial is a common reaction, or your teen may probably not realize it’s depression he is feeling.

4. Check your child’s activities. Make sure he does not involve himself in drugs, alcohol or gambling. Depressed teens are susceptible to drug abuse, recklessness and violence.

5. If you feel that your teen’s depression is getting worse, seek professional help.  Encourage your teen to confront this episode in his life with courage. Ensure him that you are just beside him to offer your full and unconditional support.

First, it is important to determine the early signs of teenage depression. We need to be able to intervene early enough to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Common signs of teenage depression include frequent sadness or frequent crying. We need to understand, though, that there is a difference between sadness and depression. Everyone may experience sadness in a healthy way, as a normal reaction to an unfortunate event. Depression is the persistent feeling of sadness, hopelessness, guilt, fear, anger and many other negative emotions.

Decrease in energy, boredom, apathy and low interest in activities that used to be fun are other common signs. If your teen used to display a great passion for swimming but now finds it boring or tiresome, consider it as a warning sign. Most depressed teens no longer want to be with company, even with close friends whose presence they used to enjoy so much in the past.

Changes in sleeping and eating patterns as well as deteriorating school performance can be signs of depression. If your children are either oversleeping or not having enough sleep, or are eating too little or too much now, you need to check if something is bothering them. They may be undergoing teenage depression and may urgently need your help.