ays to Handle Frustration and Depression
    Everyone who has any goals, experiences frustration and disappointment.  Without goals or challenges you may live an empty life. One must choose between handling frustration and disappointment and emptiness.

    All of us experience tragedies and disappointments which sometimes have nothing to do with us. Bad Stuff just happens sometimes.

     Most people get depressed or frustrated a few times a month. If feels like— "Everything and everyone stinks! I stink! Nothing will ever work out for me." Premenstrual depression is a real phenomenon for some teenage girls. Every kid has to learn how to handle frustration.

 A list of healthy ways to handle frustration, Unhealthy ways and Questionable ways.
Ways to Handle Frustration and Depression
Healthy Ways (things that make you stronger) Unhealthy Ways (things that can hurt you) QuestionableWays (maybe good maybe bad)
Talking to someone you trust. Trying to hurt yourself Eating something.
Listening to or creating music or creating art. Trying to hurt someone else—being a bully. Spending money.
Playing a sport or doing exercise. Smoking.  Working. 
Doing something you like Drinking or drugging Body piercing.
Taking a nap. Kicking the cat or some other animal. .
Meditating. Gambling .
Thinking about what went wrong and trying to do better next time.  Unhealthy sex*  Sex*
 
 *  my opinions about teenage sex.

    The most helpful long term way to handle frustration and disappointment is to talk to someone about what happened. A child will see all her options and feel less disappointed. When no one is around she can do the other things.

     Sometimes depression gets overwhelming. If a person feels that life is not worth living, feels depressed every day, or tries to hurt himself in any way, he needs to speak to his teacher, doctor,  health care provider counselor or trusted adult. If the first adult or the second one does not pay attention talk to another and another until he finds someone who will listen and act. Kids born around now should expect to die when they are in their late 80’s or 90’s.

     The nasty thing about severe depression is that a person feels that talking won’t help. Fortunately depression usually gets better, and in this day and age medicines can sometimes get rid of severe depression. People will still be left with normal disappointments.

Parents need to watch for signs of depression
1.  Loss of interest in usual things
2.  Loss of interest in friends
3.  Change of friends
4.  Change in appetite—increase or decrease
5.  Change in weight—increase or decrease
6.  Smoking
7.  Use of alcohol or other drugs.
8.  Loss of personal hygiene
9.  Poorer school grades
10. Interest in morbid subjects
11.  Increase in verbal or physical aggression—yelling at siblings, fights with other kids.
12.  Hurting animals
13.  Any statements that they don’t want to be alive.

    If a parent suspects depression try to talk to your child, and if you still suspect depression contact a health care provider or school counselor to do an evaluation. At the same time don’t be foolish—GET ALL GUNS OUT OF THE HOUSE! Don’t leave pills around and don’t let your child be alone for long stretches of time.
 Counselors can help a depressed kid. Call your health care provider to find a counselor for your child.

Go to next page--Does your child tend to be aggressive? a victim or a bystander?
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