Letters from the Switched on "Teenage Depression" issue

Dear Switched On,
I was once a really fun and outgoing person. After I turned 16 I started to feel depressed. What happened to me? What can I do to get back to my old self?
Signed,
Sara in Detroit

Dear Sara,
The teenage years are some of the hardest. Not only does the outside of your body begin to change but so does the inside. A lot of what you may be feeling is a hormonal change that is happening throughout your body. This feeling may just be temporary. However, if the depressed feelings do not seem to go away you need to find help. Talking to your parents, friends or teachers may help you sort out what you are feeling and why. If you do not feel comfortable talking to anyone, you can call 1-800-RUNAWAY. They will listen and help you find the resources you need.
signed,
SwitchedOn

Dear Switched On,
I go to a large high school in Cincinnati and in the past year there have been 3 kids who have taken their own life. What makes someone want to do that?
Signed,
Owen

Dear Owen,
It's hard to say how someone could get to the point that they would want to take their own life. There are probably many factors that play a role. One major factor may be that they were not able to openly talk about how they were feeling. Many teens that feel depressed may be scared to share their feelings, and may think that they are abnormal for feeling this way. What they need to know is that many teens feel this way at some point or another. By talking about it, they may find out that there are solutions to the way they are feeling. There might be something that you can do at your school to further prevent any more tragedies. Start an open forum to talk about teen suicide and depression. Hang up posters that display crisis line numbers, or helpful websites. You could help save another life.
Signed,
SwitchedOn

Dear Switched On,
My parents want me to go on antidepressant medication. I am not sure I want to; I am scared that it may make me feel weird. I don't want to be depressed anymore but I also don't want to be on medication for the rest of my life.
Signed,
Katherine from Little Rock

Dear Katherine,
Depression can be caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain that medication can correct. However, dependent on the person, drugs are not always the answer. You are smart for being scared about becoming dependent on prescription drugs. There are many pros and cons to taking mood altering medication. These are questions that you need to talk to your doctor about. There has been a lot of media attention in the past about teens on antidepressants. Many of these drugs have not been approved for teenage use. So you need to make sure that you and your doctor talk about what drugs are safe as well as other alternative to drugs like counseling or therapy.
Signed,
SwitchedOn