Young, Talented And Depressed By Jodie Peter
A quote by the late Winehouse, “Since I was 16, I’ve felt a black cloud hangs over me. Since then, I have taken pills for depression”. Depression, if not dealt with, can lead to destruction and addiction to booze and drugs.
Depression was thought of something associated with old people. Anyone who lost their job or got divorced or a loss in the family was linked to depression. Well so we thought. Opening up the closet of skeletons , we can no longer ignore the truth about our youth: they are young, talented and depressed.
Whoever said the youth get it easy or it was harder back in the day? What do they have to be depressed about? We’ve entered a new generation of young depressed and talented people who have demons as well as angels next to them. Why can’t our youth cope? Life is overwhelming than ever. More competition, more worries and more stress to fit in. Depression is an illness with far greater complications that we know of.
It’s not just filthy rich and famous, it’s happening to mainstream, ordinary people. We’ve been living in a generation where now more than ever our kids have whatever they want at their finger tips. Technology is forever growing, the more advanced we become, the more depressed our youth generation becomes succumbing to drugs, alcohol, any kind of addiction and even suicide. Cassey Chambers from The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Operations Director) comments “We do know that 9.9% of all teen deaths lead to suicide in South Africa, through SADAG’S school outreach programme “Suicide shouldn’t be a Secret”, we speak to many youths who are just able to cope with pressure and stress.” Cassey agrees that the teens of today are dealing with more issues than teens of previous generations. According to SADAG, one in five South Africans suffer from depression, there are 22 completed suicides in the country every 24 hours and a further 220 attempted suicides everyday in S.A. Parents are busy and don’t find take to sit down with their kids and talk to them about their pressures in life. As parents you should take everything your child goes through seriously, such as break ups, kids bullying them or even your older children in their twenties that feel the pressure of not finding jobs or not having money. It’s usually them they feel the most pressure because they have to live up to your expectations and in this day and age it is harder than ever. The young generation feels pressure from friends, family, school, teachers and society to be a certain person, explains Cassey.
Club 27, a bunch of young, talented and depressed people who all have died at the tender age of 27, from Janis Joplin (heroin overdose), Jimi Hendrix (choked on his own vomit), Jim Morrison (heart failure), rolling stones member Brian Jones (drowned) and Kurt Cobain (suicide) and now recently added to this list is Amy Winehouse, one of the most talented singers and songwriters of her generation, her generation being one of depression, addiction and chaos. In the footsteps of depression we have destruction. A quote by the late Winehouse, “Since I was 16, I’ve felt a black cloud hangs over me. Since then, I have taken pills for depression”. Depression, if not dealt with, can lead to destruction and addiction to booze and drugs. I spoke to a young girl who has been on hard drugs for 4 years, her boyfriend killed himself and she went cold turkey after that, I asked why she went down that dark road, “it was inevitable. I was depressed since I can remember that door opened and I walked through it.” Does depression lead to alcohol and drug addiction if you do not seek help? Yes, says Cassey, “There is an overlap between depression and addiction, depression does lead to people self-medicating and using negative coping mechanisms such as drinking or drugs as a way to escape and cope. “ It can be a vicious cycle, alcohol and drugs are depressants, after your binge or your high you will feel depressed and low and therefore it becomes a chain reaction of depressed and drinking, drinking and depressed. Post traumatic stress disorder (an anxiety disorder following a traumatic event/experience), independent depressive disorders (manic depressive) are all linked to anxiety and alcohol dependence.
According to SADAG, alcohol and anxiety are related to each other, an estimated 60% of people in rehabilitation centres have an underlying anxiety disorder. If you drink because you have anxiety or if you have anxiety so you drink, either way the two make a circle that links up. Tremors, insomnia, irrational fears, palpitations and excessive sweating are symptoms that are common to both disorders. Research also estimates that if you drink to cope with stress or with social settings it’s predicted in the next 10 years problematic drinking will develop. It’s a way for them to cope with their demons because they have not been taught proper coping mechanisms that SADAG teaches. “Teens feel pressure from friends, family, school, teachers and society to be a certain person. There are many contributing factors for a teen to want to end his life, problems such as failed relationships, family problems, dysfunctional family, divorce, abuse, trauma, school pressure. “says Cassey.
Number one drug is alcohol, that’s how it starts. People need a bigger hit and then from alcohol it’s becomes harder substances. Just because alcohol is legal doesn’t mean it’s not a drug, doesn’t mean it’s just as dangerous as hard drugs on the street. Destructive behavior is a sign of depression.
With the proper coping mechanisms people can work through their problems. This is what SADAG group teaches and enables young people especially in these times of great strife and life obstacles. Depression spirals out of control into a vicious circle of self medicating which adds anxiety which adds to the addiction which exhilarates the depression, it becomes a turning wheel of highs and lows that ultimately lead to suicide.
Self medicating with drugs or alcohol is a slow suicide. Depression is the leading cause of suicide. Depression is not a taboo subject for people that are crazy, depression is a serious illness just like cancer, diabetes and hypertension. It goes over looked because people are embarrassed or don’t take it seriously yet if left untreated it can lead to drugs and alcohol. If left untreated it can lead to suicide. You can learn how to cope with stress. Don’t feel ashamed of being depressed. Talk to someone, get help now!
SADAG Helpline: 0800 70 80 90
SMS: 31393
Website: www.sadag.org
