Download Depression and Suicide

Kelly Trikenskas
Depression Symptoms
• Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
• Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once
enjoyed
• Decreased energy, fatigue, being “slowed down”
Teen Symptoms
 Can be harder to spot Irritable mood
 Restlessness
 Withdrawal from family/friends/activities they like to
do
 Change in appetite or weight
 Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
 Sense of hopelessness
Depression
 Anxiety- condition of feeling uneasy or worried about
what may happen
 Depression- a prolonged feeling of helplessness,
hopelessness, and sadness
Depression Types
• Reactive depression- in response to a stressful event
• Major depression- medical condition, that needs
treatment- strong feelings of helplessness,
hopelessness, and sadness that last longer than 2
weeks
– Interferes with your ability to work, study, eat, sleep, etc.
Dysthymia
 Long lasting symptoms that do not seriously disable,
but keep one form feeling well or good
 May have major depressive episodes
Bipolar Disorder
• Aka – manic-depressive illness
• Severe highs (mania) and lows (depression) with
periods of normal mood between
• Depression Cycle- can include any or all symptoms of
depression
• Manic Cycle-person can be over-active, over-talkative,
affects, thinking, judgment and social behavior that
can cause serious problems and embarrassment
Clinical Depression
 A chemical imbalance in the brain that can be
controlled with medication
Post-Partum Depression
 Some women become depressed after having a baby
 Caused by stress, physical factors, chemical factors
What makes you happy?
Suicide
 The act of intentionally taking one’s own life
 Fact:
 In 80% of attempts by teens they have told someone
their thoughts either directly or indirectly
Facts:
 More girls attempt
 More boys are successful
 Why?
 15-24 and 65+ highest number of suicides
 Why?
Suicide Risk Factors
 Alienation-
 90% of people that kill themselves are suffering from
some form of depression or mental illness
Risk Factors (Cont.)
 History of physical or sexual abuse
 Previous attempt
 Family history
 Drug or alcohol abuse
Multiple Suicides
 Cluster suicides- series of suicides occurring in a short
period of time and involving several people in the
same community or school
Strategies for Decision Making
 1. State the situation
 2. List the options
 3. Weigh the outcomes
 4. Consider values
 5. Make the decision and act
 6. Evaluate the decision
Helping Others
 1. initiate a meaningful conversation
 2. Show support and ask questions
 3. try to persuade the person to seek help or offer to get
them help
When to Get HELP
 When you feel like there is no way out
 When it affects, work, school, home and relationships
 Increased aggressive behavior or recklessness
 Drug / alcohol use/abuse
 Others become directly concerned with your behavior
Facts about getting HELP
 It is a strength not a weakness-
 Some mental disorders do not get better on their own
 Sharing your deepest thoughts can be a great relief
Therapy Method
• Psychotherapy: on going dialog between a patient and a
mental health professional- designed to find the root of a
problem and devise a way to help solve it.
• Behavior therapy: treatment process that focuses on
changing unwanted behaviors through rewards and
reinforcements
• Cognitive therapy: designed to identify and correct
distorted thinking patterns that can lead to feelings or
behaviors that may be troublesome, self-defeating
Therapy Methods
• Group therapy- treating a group of people with
similar problems that meet regularly with a trained
professional
• Biomedical therapy- use of certain medications to
treat or reduce the symptoms of a mental disorder
sometimes used alone , but works best when paired
with another treatment.