Understanding Depression

I am working on the same topic and I find it funny how most teenagers are so suck in the middle of drama and also if a child is abused I find the best way would be to find something you love.

I feel alot of teens go through depression because of all the stress they deal with throughout most of their school  years and when you think about it.It's mostly during H.S. because there is so much pressure depending on the friend you chose and what is best for you.

 I am so happy that i don't remember most of  my abuse. i know for sure that stuff like that changes people. while your going through this you think why me, but the crazy thing is sometimes you need to go through the worst to understand who you are and to appreciate the best

I have gone through alot in my life that I can never forget. I also don't want to mention it now. It has shaped my life and I am still affected by it although it's better now than it was then. I used to freak out if someone was near me even more if they were holding something. I learned how to suspect by the very change of tone in someone's voice what would happen. I have a few phobias and fears. I would call myself depressed some would call me goth but I'm not my style dosen't have anything to do with my mood. My music however reflects things I use that to make myself feel better and for the most part it works. I hope things are better for you now and if not maybe you can use music to help you feel better its gotten me through alot of tough times.

Your post understanding depression is really sad but at the same time its the reality. A lot teen are going through these things. Me personally never went through anything like that so I can't really say that I now how it feels. 

Depression is a serious problem in many teen now because abuse and many other problems. 

One thing that's good is you made yourself strong and didn't let anyone bring you down. That talks a lot of strength to do. Also your poems are a weapon or a way for you to get rid of some of your anger which is amazing to me. Mostly because if I was in your place I don't think I would have able to live as confidently as you do

  The thing is, most people would think I'm always happy and have no serious side and it's completely fine to hurt me, 

but the truth is, I'm a lot more depressed. I do write poems down just like you, or just listen to music and keep it loud so I wouldn't hear anything. I even started writing big fat fiction stories about things I was too embarrassed to write down in a diary. 

      I'm not happy at 'home' that much, I only remember being happy when I was at my old school. But now, like you, I can handle it and be confident. Some people may not be aware of it, but I have a lot I'm going through they haven't seen. You're right, you shouldn't care about what people say, I twist it up and turn it into something that'll make me smile.

      I'm pretty sure what I'm typing isn't making sense since I'm feeling SOOOO lazy, but I needed to write it out, thanks to you, I got it done! :)

Dear Evelyn,
I am very interested by your post “Understanding Depression” because there are points where someone is depressed but it is like you can never understand what you're feeling. It is hard to understand depression when there is so much stress towards life but most people can ever find the reason why.

One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is “I would spent countless hours up at night writing poetry when he went to sleep.” I think this is good because it is good to write when you're depressed since most of the time it is hard to trust a person to talk to. Trusting a paper would be safe knowing that you will have it for yourself.

Another sentence that I liked was “There are teens that “just don’t give a damn” because they listened to what people had to say, got some kind of disturbance and then they just stopped caring because they aren’t the person that they wanted to be..” This stood out for me because it is mostly true. Once a friend notice your problems, they will feel awkward about it and will feel like they can not do nothing about it and move on with somebody else. Only a true friend would stay there is hardly any out there.

Your post reminds me of something that had happened to me. One time, the first time I ever trust a friend it turned out to be bad. I know that depression also for abuse but there are for other reasons too. Once I told her, she just felt I was not the friend she wanted so she left. After that, I have always kept everything to myself.

Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next, because your post are really realistic and real. This is a everyday life for others that aren’t so lucky.

Dear ELashley,
I am moved emotionally with your post, "Understanding Depression ," because any abuse can affect a person in this case a teen. Mainly teens are full of hormones and mood swings so we over think things. Sometimes we can also underthink them as well. But one should know when abuse in any way shape or form is brought to ones presents or attention.Friends of mine think of abuse as just physical, but abuse can be verbal and mental.Question most kids have is how to deal with abuse? Well I can say you spoke of a beautiful one that I myself use when times get rough.”I would spend countless hours up at night writing poetry when he went to sleep.” Poetry is a great way to take emotion and use it for expressing yourself with paper. Paper does not have legs or a mouth to tell anyone just letting something out before you can release a chip on your shoulder. Some of the best poets in the world go through some form of abuse or state of being misunderstood by the world which makes people shift to it. Because everyone has a issue in life, and to hear or read that someone else once felt the same way … you kind of don't feel alone anymore.You also bring up a great point when saying “They only did things to satisfy people. People like me don't want to satisfy people, they want to be happy without changing who they are.” I also don’t live to satisfy anyone but myself because someones comment just makes me want to show them that they're wrong. The best revenge is keeping your head high and not letting abuse or anything fase you.

Dear Evelyn:
I am very touched about your post, "Understanding Depression," because you shared something very personal and intimate about yourself and that is very brave. Not many young girls have the courage to admit that they are being abused.
One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: "When you first get a hit, you figure that you did something wrong and you are being reprimanded. But then when you get hit constantly just because of how the abuser feels at that moment, then you know that you are being abused." I think this is an important statement because in many cases, people confuse abuse with discipline. Sure, spanking your kid when doing something wrong is okay, but punching your child in the face when you had a bad day at work is clearly abuse.
Another sentence that I thought was interesting was : "He would yell at me and call me names then expect for me to pass school with him calling me names because of my school work." This stood out for me because abuse isn't just physical. Verbal abuse can leave worse scars than physical abuse. It can psychologically damage someone especially when that kind of abuse is over a long period of time.

Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next, because you showed people that read this post what the effects of abuse is. It was very helpful with your details about your own experience.

Dear Evelyn:

Your post, “Understanding Depression” is very touching. I have always been against abuse, especially if there is no understandable reason behind it. Even if there were some logical explanation for abuse, it certainly does not justify it.

One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: "Hearing about people they love like friends or family being abused is already enough to make them feel sad, but once you experience abuse first hand, your whole world changes." I do not personally relate to this, but it must be different and worse experiencing abuse than just hearing about someone you love going through it. I know it feels terrible, but I do not know how it feels to feel terrible because of abuse. Something that I can relate to is this: "I would spend countless hours up at night writing poetry when he went to sleep." Writing poetry is really a way to let go or relief emotions that are bursting inside. I used to write poems whenever I felt overwhelmed with something that I believed I could not just tell anyone. I would tell it to paper, in a way that would make me feel some of the feeling’s weight lifted.

I am grateful for your writing because it is very honest and it gives me insight on how it is like to go through such unfortunate things. Sadly, it is something that goes on in the world.

Dear Evelyn:

I am moved by post, "Understanding Depression," because abuse of any kind is a very sensitive subject that is probably very hard to talk about especially if you have experienced it first hand. So I would like to commend you on sharing your personal experiences with your readers.

One part you wrote that stands out for me is: "Being abused by someone who supposedly "loves" you can take a toll on a teen. They can be verbally or physically abused and then the outcome is either becoming a stronger person, being mentally, physically, and emotionally unstable or a bad mixture of both." I think this is true because not everyone can handle the effects of abuse. Even though I believe that no one should have to endure abuse, there are many people out there who are strong enough to take their situation and turn it around. Sometimes you can't prevent yourself from getting abused in any way but you can overcome it and allow your struggles to make you a stronger person. However, not everyone can handle the effects of abuse which can lead to self harm and unfortunately even suicide.

Another part that I was touched by was: "Coming from a house where I would get beatings while I was sleeping and waking up with a good amount of long welts going across my back, it changed my life. I started to act different. Every night just before I go to sleep, the slightest noise makes me jump, thinking that I was going to get a beating." This stood out for me because it is amazing how much abuse can change a persons life. Not only may it leave physical scars but it also leaves emotional scars as well. It can cause a person to feel so vulnerable in the world and it may make it hard for them to trust others who come into their lives. On the contrary, some may seek love and attention in the wrong places due to their lack of such in their own homes which can cause many other conflicts.

I do agree with you that bullying may be a large contribution to depression being that both conflicts are very common amongst teenagers. One reason I say this is that bullying can damage an individual physically and emotionally causing them to at some point feel bad about themselves causing depression and other conflicts. Another reason I agree with you is that being in that type of predicament may cause a person to think twice about their purpose in life and it can lead changes in personality and attitude.

Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next, because your writing is powerful. I think it is important for people to know who you are through your writing and that's exactly what you did. In addition to this, a good writer has the courage to put themselves out there and share their experiences with the world to make their writing better and once again I commend you for that. Keep up the good work and never lose hope.

Hello Evelyn,
I am very satisfied with your post, “Understanding Depression” because I never fully understood where depression comes from and why. I always wondered how one can just jump right into a funk of depression for any reason. It gets extremely confusing.
One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “Hearing someone close to you talk about you makes you feel basically like crap.” I totally agree because when one of my closest friends talk about me with someone else while I am not around I feel hurt and broken. If those people are really true friends they wouldn't turn their back on you. I also believe that this can sometimes cause depression as well, depending on our strong a relationship was.
Another sentence that I agreed with was: “When you become a teenager, I believe that you are too old to be getting hit!” I think that this is most of the time a huge impact on teenagers and causes them to commit suicide, and run away from home because they do not feel wanted. I've seen this happy to many girls my age, and it is usually because of issues at home.
Your post reminds me of something that once happened to a friend of mine. One time she came to school crying. I asked her what was wrong and I was trying to console her. She kept crying and told me that she was running away because her dad abuses her. I felt so bad and stood with her the entire day. The next day she did not return to school and I never heard from her again. I know that she is okay and I have faith in her.
Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because I like the way you stated and explained your topic. You helped me to better understand where and how depression comes. This was also touching because this is something that unlucky people experience everyday and do not know how to overcome.

Dear Evelyn :
I am shocked by your post, "Understanding Depression," because you opened up to a website that random people read. You allowed your past experiences to impact your writing in a positive way.
One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: "Being abused by someone who supposedly "loves" you can take a toll on a teen" I think this is true because you are supposed to trust someone that loves you. However, it is sad that sometimes there are people who love you that feel that it is okay to hurt you as well.
Another sentence that I liked was: "Being a teenager, hearing someone close to you talk about you makes you feel basically like crap because what your friends and family say matters in their eyes." This stood out for me because many people don’t notice how the littlest thing can matter to someone. One comment can make one feel like they are an outcast in a group.
Your post reminds me of something that happened to me. One time I saw my friend crying in my school hallway and I asked her what happened. She didn’t want to tell me because since I am a boy she thought I wouldn’t care. However, I assured her that I would care and she ended up opening up to me. The things she told me made me feel like I was an outcast in her own family, so I imagine how she would feel.
Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next, because your post is extremely interesting. You also involve your own obstacles which make it more emotional and understanding.