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Masking Sadness

Intro
Greetings to the United Nations, to all the ambassadors present here today, and to the
souls who dont know the about the secrets of depression. Here at the meeting that will
commence on December 17th, we are the X League of superheroes. Our goal? To present today
for the sole purpose of campaigning the nagging problem of depression and how exactly it strikes
into the hearts of its victims.
The Impact of Depression
Stress. Sorrow. Anxiety. These are all words that come to mind when the topic of
depression is discussed. Depression has been greatly affecting the teens of our nation and has
been leading to self harm, drug abuse and even further; teen suicide. Teens from all over the
world have been suffering with this mental illness and it has greatly affected their entire lifestyle.
There isnt just one type of depression that affects the majority of our teens but there are multiple
types of depression that latches onto them. Some types of depression are:
bipolar depression
major depression
dysthymia depression
situational depression
What is Depression?
Wikipedia labels depression as a state of low mood or aversion to activity.
Kidshealth.org describes it as a lasting period of sadness, but to the people suffering from
depression its more than a bad day. To the people suffering from depression, depression is similar
to a label given to those in an exclusive club. Depression is a form of mental illness. In fact,
according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America 14.8 million adults suffer from
persistent depression. NIMH has described the depression rates of teens as such: In 2013, an
estimated 2.6 million adolescents ages 12-17 in the U.S. had at least one major depressive
episode in the past year. As the depression rates increase annually, depression leading to teen
suicide has also become a leading cause of death in the U.S. in recent years. The Jason
Foundation has even informed the populace that suicide has become the second leading cause of
death in the U.S. in the year 2013.
The History of Depression
The issue of depression was never much acknowledged until the 21st century. However,
records of its symptoms first appeared in Ancient Greece. The Greeks named this disease
melancholia. Although there was never records of who, how, and when melancholia was
diagnosed, people always had periods of stressful experiences; not just the feeling of sadness, but

a lasting emotion clinging as a disease. Later on, during the Islamic Golden Age, Muslims and
Persians also discovered this disease and its effects on the people. It is significant that depression
was discovered by Muslims during their golden age since it informs us that throughout history,
humans have always had the issue of depression.
Through our new findings in technology, we have also increased our knowledge on what
depression is, and how it affects our populace. But at the same pace, many people in our century
have become strangled by this disease (especially in present day). Teens have been greatly
affected by this disease we have now know as depression. Whether its their stress from school,
stress from social media, or stress from emotional trials in their life, depression is an issue that
needs to be addressed more straightforwardly. Teens are the future for our world, they carry the
responsibility to continue our generations and bring prosperity to flourish our societies. But for
the teens suffering from the unsolved problem of depression, the future isnt exactly bright.
Major Depression
Also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, this is a very popular
type of depression found in many teens. Major depression can cause a teenager to experience
changes from sleeping for shorter periods of time, to thinking about the idea of suicide.
Bipolar Disorder
Also known as manic depression, this fluctuates the mood in a person. Symptoms that
accompany this disorder are divided into three different groups: mania, hypomania, and
depression. The subcategory of mania includes:
increased energy
decrease in the need for sleep
reckless behavior
Hypomania is similar to this, and is comprised of:
increase of creativity
feeling elated
being extremely productive.
The last group of symptoms in bipolar disorder depression involve the:
loss of energy
the inability to concentrate
feeling of anger, worry, or anxiety.
Dysthymia
The last type of depression that has been one of the many different types affecting adolescents the
most is dysthymia. This kind of depression will latch itself onto the person and will stay there
for a long amount of time. Although this is only mild, this can still be able to interfere in your
everyday life and greatly affect the way you go about with your life.
Problems that present themselves in depression
Depression (in essence) is the equivalent of Pandoras Box. It starts small and manifests
into an even bigger issue presenting all sorts of problems. Some problems of depression are as
follows:
Changes in sleep
Changes in appetite
Feeling agitated at some times (or perhaps slowed down)
Loss of interest in certain topics or activities

Suicidal thoughts or intentions


Victims of depression think of depression as a common cold, granted it has its unique
symptoms like depression, but unlike the common cold depression doesnt go away with some
cough syrup and sleep. In order to fully repair ones body suffering from depression, multiple
solutions are needed to join and combine to fight depression.
Existing solutions for depression
Since depression is a very broad issue that comes in many forms, scientists arent entirely
sure how to solve it. Similar to our unique fingerprints, depression affects each and every one of
its victims in a different way. No two cases of depression can be viewed the same; this makes it
harder for depression specialists to diagnose their patient. There are two main categories for
treating depression: chemical and natural treatments. Natural treatments for depression include
exercising, getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and having fun. But to depression-suffering
patients, these treatments all have something in common: theyre easier said than done. Chemical
treatments for depression include concentrated doses of MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors),
TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants), and SNRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). These
drugs all have side effects, side effects such as blurred vision, fatigue, increased heart rate, and
death (in extreme cases). Listening to what people suffering from depression want to say is
proven to boost their emotions and form a connection between the person speaking, and the
person listening.
Unlike other mental illnesses there is no concrete solution to solving the problem of
depression. Doctors and experts on depression have found few methods to actually solve it. These
solutions include:
Exercising often
Making the right diet choices
Maintaining a regular schedule of activities
Taking up a hobby
Lets just say that there are many more solutions to help depression, but not all of them are
effective. Despite many solutions that different organization have presented in order to solve
depression, it still spreads like a wildfire around the Unites States (as well as the world). Even
though depression presents itself in a way that is obvious to the public, the government has turned
their backs on the problem of depression, sealing the fate of depression manifesting to this day.
Call to Action
As you can see, depression is a pressing problem that has gone unnoticed and untreated
for far too long. It is poisoning the minds of many people, and will quickly escalate out of
control, its symptoms ranging from low self-esteem to possible suicide. It has been, and still is,
rotting away at our minds, our childrens minds, our childrens childrens minds, leaving them
with abstract thoughts, no personal drive, and a shattered life. We need to do something about
this, and we need to act now, before others are caught by this epidemic, of sorts, because it has
proven its terrible power time and time again. The United Nations must help our cause if we are
to ensure the wellbeing of not only the people in one particular country, but of people all around
the world. Anyone can become affected, whether theyre young or old, rich or poor, male or
female. Depression is not some picky first-grader, choosing who it wants to effect, and unlike a
figment of my imagination, is a very real problem. We need others to notice this huge problem
that has plagued our society for far too long, bringing many peoples lives to an abrupt and tragic
end.
Conclusion

In conclusion, depression is a major problem that has spread throughout the world, partly due to
the fact that governments around the globe have refused the comprehend. The issue of depression
has literally sprouted and the only way to solve is to cut the tree down from the root; meaning
funds are needed in order to treat the problem. As we mentioned earlier, there are many existing
solutions to treat depression, but more research needs to be done about the actual problem or else
the subject will manifest into something even worse than it is now.

Name

Color

Elizabeth Lau

Black

Christina Nguyen

Maroon

Samuel Villescas

Blue

Ruth Zhou

Violet

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