Guest post by Caroline Trellis. See About the Author below.

What Situational Depression Is

My teenage nephew told me that situational depression is when there’s a situation, and you’re depressed about it. That pretty much sums it up.

There’s a situation. Some examples:

• You are having problems in school.
• You’re being bullied or teased.
• You have a teacher who seems to be out to get you.
• Your boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with you.
• Or the only person you are interested in doesn’t even know you exist.
• Your parents are fighting a lot. Or they are breaking up.
• A close family member is dying.
• You are gay and you can’t tell anyone.
• You think you might be gay, and you don’t have anyone to talk to about it.
• You moved to a new place and don’t know anyone.
• You lost your job and can’t find another one.

And you’re depressed about it. Some things you might feel:

• Hopeless and helpless
• Irritable
• Like nothing is enjoyable
• Desperate
• Trapped

You might be anxious – a feeling of fear, worry, and uneasiness. The feelings may be generalized and unfocused. You may feel apprehension, or agony, dread, even terror.  Also angry, filled with rage. You may be angry with others or with yourself.

You may have these or other physical feelings:

• Fatigue
• Muscular tension
• Nervous
• Restless
• Tense or jumpy
• Trouble sleeping

Your fatigue and restlessness may be mental. You may have trouble concentrating.

You may do these things, or act in these ways:

• You may avoid your family or friends.
• You may do destructive or self-destructive things, such as cutting.
• You may fight with others.
• You may ignore important tasks like work or homework, or skip school or work.
• You may start using drugs or alcohol or tobacco, or increase the amount.
• You may pace.
• You may ruminate, that is, go over the same things in your mind, over and over again.

Some things to know:

• Your feelings and behaviors are all normal for someone like you, in your situation. You are not strange or weird or sick.
• That doesn’t mean that it is okay to act in these ways, because they are harmful to you and possibly to others.
• It doesn’t mean that it is okay to feel this way. These feelings are unpleasant and uncomfortable, to say the least, and you don’t want to keep feeling them.
• You don’t have to add to your distress by believing negative things about yourself. You are a normal person in a difficult situation. [Read more…] about Identifying & Managing Situational Depression