A Family’s Journey through Depression Thoughts by Kristi Barth for Teens Finding Hope

Topics for today What’s your calling? Have you been impacted by someone with a mental illness? What it’s like to live with mental illness Depression/Mania—our family story Putting on the mask & the stigma that goes with mental illness Statistics, Identifiers and Warning Signs Resources Looking beyond the illness to the person Is life worth living? Yes, Yes, Yes What’s your calling?

Teens Finding Hope Survey Answers are Anonymous   Check any of the following which have affected You or someone close to you: Depression Suicidal thoughts/ attempts Bipolar disorder Abuse Loss of a loved one to suicide Schizophrenia Sexual assault survivor Intense Hopelessness Eating disorder Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Severe Anxiety/Anxiety Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Addiction Personality Disorder Self Harm

Putting on the Mask Masks I put it on every day The mask with a smile. It says to the world All is well, I’m good On the inside I’m cryin Sometimes I’m a raging lunatic Wantin to hurt myself Other times I hurt so bad and want to be invisible They think they see me They think they know me No one can feel my pain They wouldn’t like the real me that ’s inside But now the pain is so bad Even my masks are crackin What am I going to do? When it ’s gone, I have nowhere left to hide.

10 Warning Signs That Suggest You or a Friend May Need Help   Feeling hopeless, sad, depressed or worthless Tired all the time Stopped taking care of yourself personal hygiene and appearance Angry all the time, overreacting to situations Big changes in eating or sleeping patterns Too much or too little Can’t concentrate, struggle making decisions Anxious with movements and behaviors Can become very impulsive Giving away possessions Withdrawing physically and emotionally From friends and activities Chronic pain or physical symptoms with no known cause and medicine does not seem to help. Thinking and/or talking about death or suicide Getting help isn’t a sign of weakness, but one of strength and courage.

Situation 1 You come into a home or get a call from parents where they are so worried about their 15 year old child. She isn’t eating well and it’s hard to get her out of bed. She has given away some of her possessions to her younger siblings. Mom and Dad notice that she has been very sad for over a month and they are not sure why or what to do? What do you suggest?   Situation 2 Sammy who is 12 has been complaining about being bullied at school. The parents have gone to the school for help, but they aren’t seeing the bullying happening and think Sammy is making up the whole thing to get attention. What is a red flag to you is now Sammy is ditching school and becoming very withdrawn. What could be a plan of action? What resources are available to the family? Situation 3 You are working with a family that has 4 children. The 16 year old boy has been called gay, has been seen wearing girl’s clothing and on their computer the parents saw that they were searching sex change operations. The boy has no friends and spends most of the time in their room. He seems a loner, but pretty sad. Parents can’t figure out what is going on and how should they talk to their teen? They can’t understand this confusion and are getting angry at son for making these decisions. What’s your thoughts and do you have any possible resources? Situation 4 You receive a call from your 14 year old client’s teacher. They were doing a project at school and as they were working another kid pointed out all these scratches and bruises on Sara’s arms. The other student asked what happened and Sara said they had a new kitty and got really quiet. The teacher suspects that Sara is doing some self harm and wants to know what to do? You have noticed that Sara has seemed more moody and withdrawn and as you began thinking about it remembered that she tends to wear long sleeves even in the summer. Is she suicidal? What recommendations do you have?

Realize the Four C’s You didn’t cause the brain illness You can’t cure the brain illness You can’t control the brain illness But you can Cope with the brain illness

 “A semicolon is used when an author could’ve chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life.” By encouraging people to share their marks and stories, Project Semicolon seeks to instill hope and open up a dialogue about mental health.” – Davey Hoen Stigma-is the feeling you get as a member of a group, that people don’t value you.

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES Depression Is My Life Worth Living? YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Visit Teensfindinghope.org for helpful information and resources