Teen Depression What is happening to our teens today?

Teen Depression - What is happening With Our Local Teens?

What is happening with our local teens in Scotch Plains, NJ? Today we have interviewed one of our teens with depression/anxiety. Depression is very serious matter and it has caught our attention. We feel the public doesn’t know enough of how it affects the teens today. Our interviewee has suffered from anxiety/depression since birth.
We first asked, do you see any doctors and/ or therapists?
“Yes. I visit a psychologist, psychiatrist, cardiologist, occupational and physical therapist, pediatrician, and a nutritionist”.
We then asked, how has visiting these people affected your self esteem?
“I don’t truly care for doctors or what they think. It really hasn’t helped my self esteem at all”.
How has this affected your daily routine?
“I don't go to school anymore... Definitely a negative effect and have only been able to partake in around 2 hours of school work daily”.
How are you mentally doing?
“Considering I am seeing over 15 therapists, I'm not doing great but I don't really know anymore. It is very frustrating. The only day I am off are Wednesdays.”
How do you know you have depression/anxiety? What are the signs?
“For others it’s: pulling hair out, biting of the nails, rocking back and forth, an obsessive counting, tapping of the foot, etc.”
What symptoms do you possess?
“I rock and bite my nails”
Do you take any medication? Do they help you?
“ I take duloxetine (used for people with neuropathic pain, anxiety and depression) and lamictal (used for people with seizures and people with bipolar disorder + anxiety) They are supposed to help but I can't really tell. This was only my mental medicine.”
How much medicine do you take per day?
“24 ½ pills a day”
How many times do you get out of the house on average (not including therapy)?
“None unless it's in the moment after therapy”
How do your friends help you?
“My friends give me affection and that always boosts my self esteem”.
What activities do you like to do daily?
“I draw, write, read, and watch cartoons and YouTube videos. There's some time to play video games too”.
How do you prevent anxiety?
“You don’t. At least not for me. But for other people, there is meditation, visualization, distraction, breathing techniques, writing in a journal, facing phobias, etc.”
What’s the worst part of having anxiety?
“It makes me very, very tired. My anxiety if very obsessive. Thinking about it is frightening.”
What impacts has this had on you and how have you overcome it?
“I'm still fighting. It is to the point till I can't sleep. I will overcome it- just hasn't happened yet.”

Teens today go through so much and we are just unaware. It has been our goal to make you aware. Thank you.