Four out of every 100 teenagers deal with depression each year, according to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) in Maryland. It can affect people of any age, racial, ethnic or economic group.

Susan Haffert, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Cherry Hill, N.J. says depression is a group of signs and symptoms that are not normal reactions to life's troubles.

"When we feel depressed but don't know why, it's because our brain's chemical messengers" stop working right. That means information is not passed normally from brain cell to brain cell.

Other times, something bad - like losing someone you love or watching your parents get divorced- can trigger depression, according to information provided by NIMH.

Lynn's Story

Lynn started to get scared. She was sad all the time. Her grades started slipping, and she began losing weight. She had been eating close to nothing.

"I guess dieting helped me to feel like I had some purpose, some control," says Lynn.

Inside, she was screaming for help. But on the outside, she had turned into a dangerously thin, isolated girl that others barely saw.

Depression shows up in different ways in different people. Losing or gaining weight, getting into trouble in school, using alcohol or drugs, getting bad grades and having problems with family or friends are all signs of depression, according to NIMH.

One day, Lynn and her best friend, Jamie, got in a fight, and after screaming and yelling, Lynn finally told Jamie everything.

"I was so worried that she'd look at me weird. But, without her, I don't know what would've happened to me," Lynn says.

Jamie told her parents, who went to Lynn's parents with their concerns. When Lynn's parents asked her about the depression, she finally broke down and told them.

Lynn had waited so long to tell, and her problem had become so bad, that she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital the next day.

Tell Someone How You Feel

Lynn finally did the right thing. She told someone!!

"Anytime you feel a change that you don't understand, you should talk to someone," advises Haffert.

Talk to a friend, a parent, a teacher, a guidance counselor or any other responsible adult you feel comfortable with. The more you keep things inside, the harder it is to feel better.

While Lynn went to a hospital to deal with her depression, most people are helped with counseling, medicine or both, especially when the depression is caught early on.

And remember, being depressed doesn't mean a person is weak or a failure. It means they need help.

Lynn stayed in the hospital for eight days. After that, she went back home and had counseling sessions for a year. She got back the good parts of herself by opening up to people who loved her.

"I was at the point where I wanted to die," says Lynn. "“I had even written a suicide note to my Mom and stapled my picture to it, but I never gave it to her. If I hadn't told my friend Ã- Who knows where I'd be today?"

If you or someone you know suffers from depression, get help. Talk to your parents, a school counselor, a trusted adult, check your telephone book under "“mental health services - or call your local hospital or teen hotline / suicide hotline.

The National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE provides access to trained telephone counselors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Or for a crisis center in your area, go here.

When You're Depressed...

• You feel sad or cry a lot and it doesn't go away.
• You feel guilty for no real reason. You feel like you're no good.
• Life seems meaningless.
• You don't feel like doing the things you used to.
• It's hard to make up your mind. You forget lots of things, and it's hard to concentrate.
• Little things make you lose your temper. You overreact.
• You start sleeping a lot more, or you have trouble falling asleep at night. Or you wake up really early most mornings and can't get back to sleep.
• Your eating pattern changes. You've lost your appetite or you eat a lot more.
• You feel restless or tired most of the time
• You think about death, or have thoughts about committing suicide

What Is Counseling?

Counseling or psychotherapy means talking about feelings with a trained professional who can help you understand and change the relationships, thoughts or behaviors that are making you feel depressed.

Depression & Suicide

Not all people who are depressed try to commit suicide. But some do. If you think about suicide, or you have a friend who talks about it, take it seriously. Tell someone right away.

Contributed by Seo Hee Koh

next: Helping Your Preteen With Depression