Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depressive Illness

As do adults, most teens go through periods when they feel sad or blue. At these times, you may slam the door to your room and feel like hiding your head under the pillows. Maybe you do not feel like talking to your parents or hanging out with your friends. You might be feeling angry or irritated. Maybe you think of yourself as a loser. Sometimes these feelings are reactions to a problem. Perhaps you are sick with a bad case of the flu, you're having some trouble at school, or your best friend is mad at you. Within a week or two, you will probably start to feel a little better.

However, depression is a disease. Although feelings of depression come and go, the disease of depression can stay around and get worse. Just as with diabetes or bronchitis, depression can get worse if left untreated by a professional. Depression affects your emotional state, leaving you exhausted or panicky, teary or desperate. It also affects your physical well-being. Depressed people often feel constantly tired. They may experience headaches and stomachaches or uncontrollable shaking and fidgeting.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), one out of every five Americans will experience serious depression during his or her lifetime. Sadly, the APA estimates that the majority of depressed people fail to recognize the illness and get help. If they stop eating regularly and feel constantly worried, these people blame it on stress. If they can't think straight, they believe it's because they don't get enough sleep. If they feel tired and achy, they think that they must have some kind of bug. In the meantime, the real problem— depression—stays unresolved and often gets worse.