Bodies are changing, estrogen and testosterone are flowing more frequently; this is the life of a teenager. With this emotional stress, teens can claim they are depressed one moment and then be seen laughing the next. However, serious teenage depression is prevalent in one in five teens. Depression isn’t just bad moods and sudden outbursts, but a psychological disorder that impacts every aspect of their lives.“I would say depression is a state, a mental state,” Counseling Chair Kevin Halfmannsaid. “We get sad, and sadness is different from depression. It’s a very normal, healthy, thing to be sad because bad things happen and you have a normal response. Depression is more pervasive than that. It lasts longer.”According to the American Psychological Association, there is no clear explanation why depression occurs. It can be caused by the changing of the body’s chemistry, influencing thought process and moods. While depression can also occur from biological factors, it can also be a sign that certain mental and emotional aspects in someone’s life are unbalanced.

Teenagers are at more risk than adults because teenagers can be very volatile and tend to do rash things without fully thinking them through. Irritable or angry moods, unexplained aches and pains, extreme sensitivity to criticism and withdrawing from people are clues that describe the difference, according to psychologists at helpguide.org.

Highly unhealthy and rebellious behavior in a teenager are the negative effects of teenage depression. Problems in school can stem from the low energy and concentration difficulties that come with the depression. Drug and alcohol abuse also come with depression as teens try to medicate themselves and only succeed in making it worse. Reckless behavior, such as unprotected sex and reckless driving, can also be the results of teenage depression.

The levels of depression can be described with three simple words: hapless, helpless, hopeless. Hapless essentially means unhappiness- it’s hard to smile and things just don’t feel good. When feeling helpless, one feels they can do nothing about their problem. Hopelessness the assumption that things will truly never get better. The combination of those three feelings can create a depressed individual.

Fortunately, depression is treatable. But it can be very damaging when left untreated. If symptoms of depression become clear, seek professional help from a guidance counselor or a psychiatrist. When suspecting whether a friend of relative might be depression, speak up about it and talk to them. It can get better with the right help.

“Sometimes people want to say ‘Oh, I’m depressed’” Halfmann said. “They’re not depressed. They’re dissatisfied. They’re irritated or unhappy. There is a qualitative difference between that and depression. It’s not the same thing.”

Next time the phrase ‘I’m so depressed’ is on the tip of the tongue, think twice. It has more meaning than it seems.