The Rise of Depression in Teenage Girls
Depression is one of the most common health problems in the United States today. Adolescent suicide is now responsible for more deaths in youths aged fifteen to nineteen than cardiovascular disease or cancer. Despite this increased suicide rate, depression in this age group is greatly underdiagnosed and leads to serious difficulties in school, work and personal adjustment which may often continue into adulthood It affects about 17.8million people each year, almost half of these being women. Girls are more likely to become depressed twice as much as men, and much of that is due to the society girls live in today. Today's culture is based on capitilism, sexism and lookism (Pipher, 18). Also most girls are brought up to respond differently to situations then men, and are not shown how to express their anger. There also never used to be R rated movies or designer clothes, or sex or graphic violence in the media. Being shapely and healthy looking was beautiful. There was no "Playboy" or XXX movies, drugs were not in every neighborhood. Teenagers would rebel through clothes, hair, and music. Now more than ever teenage girls are in danger and our world is to blame. In order to even understand why depression is taking over t
An example is that a girl who is suffering from mild depression may kill herself. In today's world a woman is battered every fifteen seconds by a male. In their early adolscence studies have shown that girls IQ scores drop immensly. Today's culture has brought more freedom to women than ever, but it is has also taken freedom in different ways. Common alternative symptoms are: drinking or drug use, rebellious or rude behavior, drop in grades and no concern about it, change of attitude towards everyday life, distance from friends or suddenly changing groups. Bipolar disorder involves periods of manic behavior followed by feeling of depression. When there are no better coping strategies, hurting the body becomes a way to calm down. Another reason more young women become depressed is from their family life. Also some think that the mutilation is a reaction connecting to the current "girl-piercing culture" (Ferber, 9) But whatever the reason the thing is that once girls begin to harm themselves, they are likely to continue. Mutilation can be described as psychic pain turned inward in the most physical way (Pipher,158). Girls lose assertive, energetic and "tomboyish" personalities, they become less deferential, more self-critical and depressed (Pipher, 19). Young women lose a realistic view of the universe and all that matters to them is in the hand of others (Ferber, 7). Emotional changes include hopelessness, empitness, remorse, and guilt. Growing up in a broken or unhappy home a girl may never learn that happiness come from being loved and not just getting what you want.
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