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Depression Symptoms in High School Classes

March 9, 2010 by admin

Although not widely publicized, it is not uncommon for a high school student to be attending class day after day with signs of depression. Depression may strike at nearly any age, which is why parents of high school students need to know the signs and symptoms of depression.

The biggest hurdle parents, and many teachers, have in believing in high school depression is that they don’t see how a student who seems to have so few worries in life could possibly be depressed. What must be kept in mind is that people of any age may be affected by any level of stress, no matter how small it may seem to others. As well, when brain chemicals themselves are out-of-whack, from any number of situations, symptoms of depression may result.

Teachers usually know their students very well, through powers of observation, but many are not trained to deal with depression in high school students. ADHD kids, slow learners, the discipline problems or brilliant learners are the more common types of ‘out of the ordinary’ students dealt with in high school. Depression is less common although most teachers can tell when one of their students is having some kind of problem. Of course a student suffering from depression may also have teachers that are not interested in resolving those kinds of problems.

Depression in a student in class can manifest itself as apathy. A student who never seems to understand the lessons or never seems to pay attention may be suffering from depression. High school depression can render a student incapable of concentrating on any one thing at a time, as the doom and loneliness of depression takes over their thinking. These students do not deliberately try to ignore the teacher or try not to pay attention. It is just that the depression is overwhelming.

Depression can also manifest itself in students as shyness or false attempts to make friends. Many depressed students will do what ever they can to make temporary friends, including using drugs, smoking and alcohol. Some will join multiple sports in order to be in with certain clicks or to make an attempt to ignore their shyness. It is common for students with depression to be either quiet or very serious types who seem to have few emotions.

Teachers who know they have students suffering from depression usually respond in one of two ways. They may ignore the student’s problems and just assume they are a typical apathetic high schooler, or they may approach the student to have one-on-one conversations. To have a personal conversation is a risky endeavor for any teacher because of the student-teacher line we all hear about. Still, some teachers may attempt a conversation about the depression to get a better idea if that is indeed what the student is suffering from.

For the student with symptoms of depression, a comfortable classroom, where the teacher has spoken to them, is a much happier classroom. Having a verbal relationship with your teacher who is aware of your depression problems will speed recovery and convince most depressed high school students that school can be a positive experience.

Students dealing with depression should not be ignored by the teacher. It will be important to keep the mind of a depressed student active, interested in school and comforted, as they recover from the very real problem of depression. A caring teacher that helps a depressed student be more successful in homework or classroom activities will increase the chances that the student will get over the depression quickly.

Symptoms of depression in a high school student can’t be expected to clear up overnight, but they can be dealt with in a certain fashion that will help in the recovery. Depressed students view school as a negative place they must go to daily. It does not have to be that way once both the teacher and the student realize that symptoms of depression are real but curable for most students.

Mark D. Jordan is a long-time researcher and writer from Pennsylvania. Other useful depression and health information can be read at Depression Relief and Cures and Anxiety Problems

How to Meditate When You Can’t Sit Still

March 9, 2010 by admin

You’ve read the articles, watched Oprah, and heard it from friends: Meditation is good for you. Meditation is good for the body and soul, it is used as an aid to healing in hospitals across the world, is responsible for lowering stress and high blood pressure, increasing creativity, and a host of spiritual benefits as well. And while this all sounds great you may be wondering: How can I learn to meditate when I can’t keep my body or mind still for more than a few seconds?

The solution is Active Meditation. When most people think of meditation they picture someone dressed in loose, earth-toned clothing, sitting cross-legged on a mat in the middle of a forest while they chant vowel sounds for an hour. And while sitting in this manner and speaking a mantra is certainly a common method of meditation, known as transcendental meditation, it is certainly not the only method. Active meditation allows for body movement, in fact, it requires some movement as part of the meditation process.

Tai Chi, walking meditation, and GGGG a Japanese writing meditation are all samples of meditation practices that use simple body movements to bring about a meditative state. And while I personally have enjoyed walking meditations and Tai Chi, my preferred method of active meditation is coloring. Any art form that you are comfortable with can bring about relaxation and meditation.

I have a friend that is an amazing artist and she told me that when she paints she goes into a state of complete peace; she says everything around her becomes clearer, even the most mundane things like the colors of vase she may have had for years become bright and vibrant. Isn’t it worth giving active meditation a try knowing that such peace and happiness exists for you too?

The following is a coloring meditation reprinted from my latest book 30 Minute Celtic Mandalas Coloring Book: Easy Meditation through Coloring. If you wish to follow along you can download a free coloring page off my website www.30minutemandalas.com and give active meditation a try.

Following are the basic steps involved in coloring meditations. Even if you don’t adhere to these steps exactly, you will still enjoy the relaxation that coloring provides. So, set some time aside to experience the wonderful healing power of 30-Minute CELTIC Mandalas.

Step One: Gather your coloring pencils or markers and your 30-Minute CELTIC Mandalas Coloring Book; then choose a comfortable place where you can be quiet for approximately 30 minutes. (Note by adding details, shading, or even coloring outside of the design you can make this meditation stretch beyond 30 minutes. If you have the extra time, I highly recommend it.)

Step Two: Smile. Holding a light smile on your face will help put you in a receptive mood for the meditation. Don’t skip this step just because it sounds a little silly. Science has proven that smiling, even when you are not happy, can raise the level of endorphins (mood enhancing chemicals) in your brain. So, start smiling!

Step Three: Flip through your coloring book and pick the first design that peaks your interest. Don’t dwell on it, just accept your choice and move on.

Step Four: Choose your first pencil or marker and then begin to color. No need to over-think the colors, in fact I’m always amazed at the color combinations I come up with during a meditation and how wonderful they look together. I often find myself using colors I would normally ignore and then loving the end result. Whenever possible let the colors choose themselves.

Step Five: Watch the design take life with every stroke. Allow your self to experience the movements, hear the sounds of pencils on paper, or feel the markers as they glide across the page. As thoughts or pictures pop into your head (and they will) simply acknowledge them and then return your focus to the coloring. The coloring will always bring you back. With a little practice you will find it increasingly easy to get into a deeply relaxed, almost detached state.

Michelle Normand is a graphic designer and author of the 30-Minute Mandalas coloring book series. She also works as a freelance health and beauty writer and has been featured in New You magazine. Her next book, How to Meditate when You can’t Sit Still, is due for a winter release.

Her next book, 30-Minute Celtic Mandalas, is due for release this winter. To learn more about the author or the power of color therapy please visit Michelle’s site at www.30minutemandalas.com.