The lives of teens affected by depression are filled with sadness and hopelessness. "They see depression as a weakness and think they should be able to conquer it on their own. When they fail in their battle, they feel helpless and ashamed" (20). This means that many teens will not seek help from a family member or a professional because they think that people around them might not take it seriously, or they would get made fun of.
"Since there are not symptoms commonly associated with depression, teenage depression may be mistaken for simple rebellion and often goes undiagnosed. Many teens fall into drug or alcohol abuse in an attempt to escape from their feelings" (13). Parents or guardians may not want to believe that their child is suffering from depression, and may pass it off to be rebellion or just the way they are, to avoid coming to terms with it. Depressed teens often turn to drugs and alcohol not only to escape feelings, but to feel accepted. Although, many drugs can cause depression in teens who were not originally depressed, just because it is a side effect of the drug.
