Symptoms of Depression in Young Adults

[Renee]

From my observations, there seems to be a distinct rise in young adults experiencing mild to chronic symptoms of depression such as sleeplessness, headaches, low moods etc etc...

I know in the hospital I work in, you see more and more young people as inpatients.

Have other's observed this trend? If so, what would you attribute it to?

I think the rate of change occuring within our societies, driven by technology and capitalism, has not allowed us humans to adapt to these changes effectively. I know here in Australia for instance, the prices for land are so great that people of my generation are proposed to be a generation of renters. There are so man environmantal stressors and social pressures, so man novel problems, that humans have simply been unable to adapt quickly enough.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Angel2]

I get it once in a while where I just cry for no reason at all.......it feel like I'm not moving ahead in my life.....for me the cause has to be college and the stress that comes along with it


I was taking a psychology class and I realized that I had similar symptoms to depression so I went to my psyc professor feeling like I was practically dead........he explained that a lot of his students experience the same thing

Renee are you studying to be a psychologist?

 

[MXJSPH]

The issue of the youth having more symptoms of sleeplessness depression etc just embodies the negative aspects of the 'developed' society we live in. You are correct in that notion, however, I'll elaborate a touch further.

Depression, as well as such things such as teenage pregnancies, youth orientated violence etc are all pretty much on the rise. This is because kids are growing up faster and faster throughout time, and dealing with problems facing adults sooner they should have. Reasons why this is occuring is because the world is a place where only the strong survive, humanity is a dog eat dog culture and there is becomming little room for compassion in our society. Working class people are plagued by simply making ends meet, while the upper class people are delirious with boredom and the abstract happiness money and fame offers. Poverty and boredom are pretty much the two great evils of modern man.

Having said a few social reasons, these in turn create an obvious knock-on affect to one's happiness and how content they are with themselves. We are becomming more critically aware of ourselves because of the media, and how they portray a certain 'cool' image we should follow. This also creates a tension within us, and we often abandon our individuality for the sake of this glossy image we often try to aspire to. Honestly, to hell with this rubbish. We are made to be sheep. Society only works (I wouldn't personally call it 'work', as its hardly 'working' for everyone, but in this context, that is what its intended to do) via comforming to its current set of ideals.... The currect set of ideals suck.

Sad truth everyone is growing up faster, and when this happens, with age usually comes sorrow, worries, grief and anxiety. The main problem lies in the fact that at such tender ages, how does one deal with these issues?

 

[Renee]

Renee are you studying to be a psychologist?

Angel2...Yes I am, I'll be applying for Provisional Registration soon. What about you? :mrgreen:

Personally I think the 'cure' is to give up this whole American mentality of keeping up with the Jones'. In all areas, technology, education, social attributes, etc etc etc, people try to out do others. The whole Darwinian theory of the strongest survive as MJay mentioned. But we are ONE specices. Why try and compete with ourselves?

Most worrying piece of information I've heard is that soon there will be no middle class.

 

[Angel2]

Renee are you studying to be a psychologist?

Angel2...Yes I am, I'll be applying for Provisional Registration soon. What about you? :mrgreen:

Personally I think the 'cure' is to give up this whole American mentality of keeping up with the Jones'. In all areas, technology, education, social attributes, etc etc etc, people try to out do others. The whole Darwinian theory of the strongest survive as MJay mentioned. But we are ONE specices. Why try and compete with ourselves?

Most worrying piece of information I've heard is that soon there will be no middle class.

Congrats.....we need more assy in that field So you have your PHD?

I'm getting my BA in science of nursing..........hoping to work in labor and delivery/taking care of infants

 

[Renee]

Awesome!! Good luck with it all.

No, no PHD...just up to a post-grad dip. You don't need a PHD to be a Psychologist here....but I might get it after I work a few years. I'm over Uni at the moment lol

By the way Angel2...it's normal to experience syptoms of most mood disorders and many others. I've always said that mental illness is an extreme form of normalcy...but if the symptoms are persistant and/or chronic (over 3 months) then that's a basis for diagnosis

 

[Angel2]

Awesome!! Good luck with it all.

No, no PHD...just up to a post-grad dip. You don't need a PHD to be a Psychologist here....but I might get it after I work a few years. I'm over Uni at the moment lol

By the way Angel2...it's normal to experience syptoms of most mood disorders and many others. I've always said that mental illness is an extreme form of normalcy...but if the symptoms are persistant and/or chronic (over 3 months) then that's a basis for diagnosis

My symptoms R very short....2 weeks at the most, but thanks for the info

 

[_diesel_]

But we are ONE specices. Why try and compete with ourselves?

If we didn't compete amongst ourselves, we wouldn't be here today

The whole point of survival of the fittest is to better adapt to the environment.

As for depression among youth, we live in an individualistic society, like MJaY pointed out, and that has its consequences. But you have to realize that not everyone in this society is depressed. People who have social support, be it friends or family, can find relief from stress. Those that don't have that option will be overcome by stress. That's a pretty general point of view, but I think it accounts for the average person in Western society. So maybe depression among youth today can be attributed by either a lack of social support, or 'support' coming from the wrong people.

 

[Renee]

But we are ONE specices. Why try and compete with ourselves?

If we didn't compete amongst ourselves, we wouldn't be here today

The whole point of survival of the fittest is to better adapt to the environment.

As for depression among youth, we live in an individualistic society, like MJaY pointed out, and that has its consequences. But you have to realize that not everyone in this society is depressed. People who have social support, be it friends or family, can find relief from stress. Those that don't have that option will be overcome by stress. That's a pretty general point of view, but I think it accounts for the average person in Western society. So maybe depression among youth today can be attributed by either a lack of social support, or 'support' coming from the wrong people.

You don't have to compete with one another to survive. We are at the top of the food chain, we've won! Simple as that, however, people can compete with themselves, as opposed to their felow man/woman and still progress.

Totally disagree with the whole lack of social support argument. Based on my experiences, many of the young people who become inpatients have vast amounts of positive social support, friends and family. I wouldn't attribute it to the 'average', perhaps a minority, but not the average. I think it plays a role is some cases, but I don't think it's the cause. I don't think any one factor is the cause.

Disclaimer: These are just my opinions based on my experiences

 

[Angel2]

But we are ONE specices. Why try and compete with ourselves?

If we didn't compete amongst ourselves, we wouldn't be here today

The whole point of survival of the fittest is to better adapt to the environment.

As for depression among youth, we live in an individualistic society, like MJaY pointed out, and that has its consequences. But you have to realize that not everyone in this society is depressed. People who have social support, be it friends or family, can find relief from stress. Those that don't have that option will be overcome by stress. That's a pretty general point of view, but I think it accounts for the average person in Western society. So maybe depression among youth today can be attributed by either a lack of social support, or 'support' coming from the wrong people.

You don't have to compete with one another to survive. We are at the top of the food chain, we've won! Simple as that, however, people can compete with themselves, as opposed to their felow man/woman and still progress.

Totally disagree with the whole lack of social support argument. Based on my experiences, many of the young people who become inpatients have vast amounts of positive social support, friends and family. I wouldn't attribute it to the 'average', perhaps a minority, but not the average. I think it plays a role is some cases, but I don't think it's the cause. I don't think any one factor is the cause.

Disclaimer: These are just my opinions based on my experiences

Agree with Renee........I don't believe in evolution
Life shouldn't be about being #1, but as long as you achieve your goals

 

[_diesel_]

Well I'll take your word for it since you seem to be talking out of experience. I'm just regurgitating the bs they teach me in my elective psych classes (see, I KNEW the text book's author was full of sh*t!!). Thanks for confirming that

But again, about survival of the fittest, it's not about one individual eating the other. The food chain is irrelevant. Survival of the fittest doesn't necessarily mean that there's 2 individuals duking it out and whoever wins passes on their genes. Natural selection is just survival of an individual based on how fit he/she/it is with its environment, not necessarily how fit they would be against another organism. That's probably why we have such high expectations; it's innate.

 

[_diesel_]

Life shouldn't be about being #1, but as long as you achieve your goals

No, life isn't about being #1, and yes, it is about achieving your goals. But the reason why you set goals is because you know that you're maladapted if you just sit and vegitate. In other words, you want to be fit with respect to your environment.

Anyway, whole point of this: we as young adults work hard because that's what will get us somewhere in life, and although the road is long and tough and stressful, we still do it because we know that failing to do so will decrease our fitness (or in plain terms, we're gonna feel like bums).

 

[Renee]

Life shouldn't be about being #1, but as long as you achieve your goals

No, life isn't about being #1, and yes, it is about achieving your goals. But the reason why you set goals is because you know that you're maladapted if you just sit and vegitate. In other words, you want to be fit with respect to your environment.

Anyway, whole point of this: we as young adults work hard because that's what will get us somewhere in life, and although the road is long and tough and stressful, we still do it because we know that failing to do so will decrease our fitness (or in plain terms, we're gonna feel like bums).

In reference to the bolded bit...I believe that to be a very middle/working class mentality, 'work hard and you'll do well'...I'd suggest reading the book 'Rich dad, Poor dad'...it shows how the wealthy instill a different sentiment among their offspring. They teach them to make their money work hard for them, not for them to work hard for their money. Very few people who work hard for their money get somewhere.

Maybe the Psych books you're reading are speciafically Social Psychology books. Have a look at Critical Psychology text. Individual Psychology maybe. :shades:

 

[_diesel_]

My parents aren't wealthy. Also, its important to distinguish that success in life (i.e. getting somewhere in life) isn't all about wealth.

And btw, I'd die before taking sociology-anything. The course is experimental psychology and its based on (supposedly) scientific studies.