<h1>Deep Deep Depression...</h1>

This week I was told to write a post about depression. At first, just thinking about it was making me feel depressed. But after I started researching, I realized that it wasn't that hard to do. I just needed to stop thinking about how hard it was and just DO IT! This is one of the causes of depression. STRESS! If you are extremely busy and you think there is no way of getting everything done you will become depressed.

Here are a couple more causes of depression:

Learning-

I know it sounds weird, but if you grew up in a home where everyone was depressed that's what your natural behavior will be.

Thinking-

This is an obvious one. If you worry a lot you are bound to become depressed at some point. Don't think too much about "what if" or "what will happen to me." Everything has it's way of working out and you just need to trust that God has a plan.

Depression can be very harmful to your body. It will give you stomach and head aches, bone and joint pains, changes in your weight, sleeping problems, anxiety, and irritability. If all of these things start happening to you you will get even more depressed and your symptoms will become even worse.

Medical treatment is highly recommended for all types of depression. But do not just rely on medications. Talk to friends and family, exercises regularly, and get out as much as possible. Fresh air and company of other people will help you to relax and enjoy life. After you start treatment you need to be patient. Your symptoms will not go away right away. It will take time. Just be committed and keep going. Once you're done with treatment you will feel much better and have a whole new perspective on life.

Here is a story about a teen age girl with depression:

Raven was like any other little girl. She went to school, did her homework, and hung out with friends. The only difference in her life was that depression ran in her family. Her Grandmother had committed suicide because of depression and so had he Great Grandma. Raven's Dad had died when she was little so she was forced to grow up without a dad. She felt empty inside, like life wasn't worth living. That's pretty much what she had been taught to think. She started telling her friends that she wanted to commit suicide when she was in sixth grade! She didn't know why, it just felt like what she should do.

When she got to high school things got even worse. Her Mom had made her transfer to a new school in the middle of her freshman year. That didn't help at all because she had no friends. She would sit at the lunch table by herself feeling like life wasn't worth living. Raven knew she had depression. She tried to tell her Mom but she wouldn't believe her. She thought it was something that teenagers just told their parents to get attention. Raven got so upset that she started to cut herself. It soon became a daily habit for her.

She finally couldn't take it any more. She knew she need help. Raven finally made an appointment with the doctor and had one of her friends drive her. She was recommended to a psychiatrist so she was forced to tell her Mom. Her Mom finally believed her because of what the doctor had said.

Raven started going to therapy and took a million different medications. None of them seemed to help. She still felt empty, lonely, and she wanted to kill herself. She attempted suicide but her Mom put her in a hospital for teen help. That didn't work either.

Sometime that year she went to a Christian youth conference. What she heard there was unbelievable. She had no idea that Jesus could save you, no idea that you could ask Him for anything, and no idea that all she had to do was believe. She was AMAZED! That day she became a Christian and asked God to help her with her problems. And soon enough she was feeling better than ever. She had a reason to live, she didn't feel empty, and she didn't feel lonely. All she needed was Jesus!

If you don't take action you could end up being like Raven( before she was saved) or one of the 5,000 people a year who commit suicide because of depression. Don't let depression kill you. Get help and take care of it. :)