Mental health issues are facing teens all across Colorado. They are real and started even before the pandemic. You may find you are having a hard time dealing with current or past trauma and feel sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, and fear. To help in this time of need, the State of Colorado launched iMatter to provide teens access to at least three free therapy sessions.
Scroll through this presentation to learn more about Depression in teens and then click on the website link above to head right to the site.
Depression
de·pres·sion
Feelings of severe despondency and dejection.
source: Oxford Languages
"lack of motivation, hopelessness, irritability, prolonged sadness, low self-esteem, drop in grades and attendance, difficulty getting out of bed." EHS Counseling office
Symptoms of Depression
Mood: anxiety, apathy, general discontent, guilt, hopelessness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, mood swings, or sadness
Behavioral: agitation, excessive crying, irritability, restlessness, or social isolation
Sleep: early awakening, excess sleepiness, insomnia, or restless sleep
Whole body: excessive hunger, fatigue, or loss of appetite
Cognitive: lack of concentration, slowness in activity, or thoughts of suicide
Weight: weight gain or weight loss
Also common: poor appetite or repeatedly going over thoughts
Source: mayoclinic.org
What to do
Getting support plays an essential role in overcoming depression. On your own, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy perspective and sustain the effort required to beat depression. At the same time, the very nature of depression makes it difficult to reach out for help. When you’re depressed, the tendency is to withdraw and isolate so that connecting to even close family members and friends can be tough. But it's the best option.
Source: helpguide.org
Governor Jared Polis signed the bipartisan legislation, which dedicated $9 million to the program as part of the Polis-Primavera administration’s Colorado Comeback roadmap. The program is funded until June 30, 2022
EHS JOU 121