I think I may be clinically depressed but everyone thinks it's just because I'm a teenager. But the hurt, emptiness and confusion are much too deep. What are the signs of clinical depression, specifically in teens? Thanks =)

Hurt, emptiness, and confusion are quite normal in teens and every teen that has them thinks they are much too deep. It is a normal stage of growing up. Feeling sad after a disappointment is normal and there are a lot of instances for being disappointed in your teen years.

The source link I provide gives you not only the basic symptoms but the difference between normal occurance of those symptoms and abnormal occurance of those symptoms.

There is no quick fix to these feelings even if you do have clinical depression other than to find things you do well and focus on those when you get "down". Antidepressants do not always work well in adults, and in teens and preteens they are even less effective and you only get as much out of therapy as you put into it.

What are the examples of imagry seen in quarter 2 of speak? Symbols seen in quarter 2 of speak? Any events that happend in quarter 2.

>.< honestly, just fucking read it. It’s an awesome book anyway.

i just started high school and im already stressed out. im doin good in the school working part but noone likes me. i tried being nice ive tried everything people where i live just hate me. and now ive been crying all the time, im not so hungry anymore,and im always tired. is this signs of depression? if so what do i do to defeat it? ive tried telling my mom but she doesnt have the time to listen and i dont want to stress her out so what should i do?

I don’t think that your depressed just sad at the moment. You need to set your mom down and tell her that something is really bothering you so she can help you.

low mood, lack of energy, poor concentration and motivation, thoughts of suicide or self harm, poor sleep, reduced appetite, lack of pleasure e.t.c

also what ways could you go about treating depression and is it genetic?
and for prescriptions would i have to see a psychologist or regular doctor?

* Persistent sadness, pessimism
* Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness or hopelessness
* Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including sex
* Difficulty concentrating and complaints of poor memory
* Worsening of co-existing chronic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes
* Insomnia or oversleeping
* Weight gain or loss
* Fatigue, lack of energy
* Anxiety, agitation, irritability
* Thoughts of suicide or death
* Slow speech; slow movements
* Headache, stomachache, and digestive problems

In children and adolescents:

* Insomnia, fatigue, headache, stomachache, dizziness
* Apathy, social withdrawal, weight loss
* Drug abuse or alcohol abuse, a drop in school performance, difficulty concentrating
* Isolation from family and friends
* For dysthymia (minor, but long-term depression), symptoms are less intense and fewer in number, but long-lasting.

I sleep A LOT.
I bite my fingernails.
I pick at scabs.
I have strange eating habits… between eating a lot and not wanting to eat at all.
I don’t necessarily feel sad a lot but I feel like sometimes people can be depressed and not know.

You could have a mild depression and anxiety disorder. Changes in your eating habits and sleeping patterns are typical indicator of depression. The other could be caused by anxiety.
Learn proper sleep hygiene and eat as well as you can. It might change things. Keeping a journal might give you more insight into your life and it can monitor your mood.

I believe that I am depressed. I cry almost everyday over stupid stuff. I feel worthless and sometimes can't stop crying. Is there anyway without going to a doctor that i can truly find out if I'm depressed?
also i am not a teenage girl I am 20 gone through puberty long time ago. and i have gained 30 lbs in the past 4 months.

Symptoms
According to the DSM-IV-TR criteria for diagnosing a major depressive disorder (cautionary statement) one of the following two elements must be present for a period of at least two weeks:

Depressed mood, or
Loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities.
It is sufficient to have either of these symptoms in conjunction with five of a list of other symptoms over a two-week period. These include:

Feelings of overwhelming sadness or fear or the seeming inability to feel emotion (emptiness).
A decrease in the amount of interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities of the day, nearly every day.
Changing appetite and marked weight gain or loss.
Disturbed sleep patterns, such as insomnia, loss of REM sleep, or excessive sleep (Hypersomnia).
Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly everyday.
Fatigue, mental or physical, also loss of energy.
Feelings of guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, anxiety, or fear.
Trouble concentrating or making decisions or a generalized slowing and obtunding of cognition, including memory.
recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
Other symptoms sometimes reported but not usually taken into account in diagnosis include:

A decrease in self-esteem.
Inattention to personal hygiene.
Sensitivity to noise.
Physical aches and pains, and the belief these may be signs of serious illness.
Fear of 'going mad'.
Change in perception of time.
Depression in children is not as obvious as it is in adults. Here are some symptoms that children might display:

Loss of appetite.
Irritability.
Sleep problems, such as recurrent nightmares.
Learning or memory problems where none existed before.
Significant behavioral changes; such as withdrawal, social isolation, and aggression.
An additional indicator could be the excessive use of drugs or alcohol. Depressed adolescents are at particular risk of further destructive behaviors, such as eating disorders and self-harm.

One of the most widely used instruments for measuring depression severity is the Beck Depression Inventory, a 21-question multiple choice survey.

It is hard for people who have not experienced clinical depression, either personally or by regular exposure to people suffering it, to understand its emotional impact and severity, interpreting it instead as being similar to "having the blues" or "feeling down." As the list of symptoms above indicates, clinical depression is a serious, potentially lethal systemic disorder characterized by interlocking physical, affective, and cognitive symptoms that have consequences for function and survival well beyond sad or painful feelings.

Any professional help would be appreciated. Also any direct links would be helpful. Someone close to me suffers from some kind of depression. Thanks.

there is two types of depression in Psychology: Depressive mood and clinical depression.

the signs of depressiona are:
*Insomnia or general trouble sleeping;
*constant feelin of sadness;
*feeling exhausted a lot of the time with no energy;
*feeling as if even the smallest tasks are sometimes impossible;
*a bad temper or irratability;
*they can't enjoy the things that they used to enjoy eg. food sex or maybe the comfort eat;
*feeling very anxious alot of the time;
*they don't want to see people or are scared to be left alone. Social activity may feel hard or impossible;
* a difficulty to think clearly – lots of headaches;
*feeling that life isn't worth living;
*poor self image and low confidence;
* they spend a lot of time thinking about what has/will go wrong and what is wrong with them;
* physical aches and pain eg. neck ache;
* a feeling that life is passing you by;

What are the first signs of depression? 10 points best answer

It’s impossible to escape life’s ups and downs. Feeling unhappy or sad in response to disappointment, loss, frustration or a medical condition is normal. Many people use the word “depression” to explain these kinds of feelings, but that is really situational depression, which is a normal reaction to events around us. Clinical depression, though, overwhelms and engulfs your day to day life, interfering with your ability to work, study, eat, sleep, and have fun. It is unrelenting, with little if any relief.

If you identify with several of the following signs and symptoms, and they just won’t go away, you may be suffering from clinical depression.
you can’t sleep enough or you sleep too much
you can’t concentrate or find that previously easy tasks are now difficult
you feel worthless and hopeless
you can’t control your negative thoughts, no matter how much you try
you have lost your appetite or you can’t stop eating
you are constantly irritated or become enraged even at small things – and this is new for you
you have thoughts that life is not worth living, or have a plan for how you would end it

Depression Signs and Symptoms
Clinical depression is distinguished from situational depression by length and severity
Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.

Loss of interest in dailly activities
No interest in or ability to enjoy former hobbies, pastimes, social activities, or sex.

Appetite or weight changes
Significant weight loss or weight gain—a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month.

Sleep changes
Either insomnia, especially waking in the early hours of the morning, or oversleeping (also known as hypersomnia).

Psychomotor agitation or retardation
Either feeling “keyed up” and restless or sluggish and physically slowed down.

Loss of energy
Feeling fatigued and physically drained. Even small tasks are exhausting or take longer.

Self-loathing
Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt. Harsh criticism of perceived faults and mistakes.

Concentration problems
Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.

my girlfriend took the morning after pill and ever sense then, probably about 2 weeks ago, she has been very moody shows signs of depression and in some rare cases gets violent. she gets extremely emotional for no reason also. any info would be great thanks.

Yes, there are. Any medication which control hormone may cause mental instability. Some people are not sensitive to the side effects. If your girl is sensitive to it, better change to another method of birth control.