These days, many people are suffering from depression. Sadly, depression is also common among teens. If you don’t feel like yourself for a long time and don’t feel like doing anything, you might be depressed.

If you are depressed, you often have a hard time getting motivated to study and have trouble concentrating during class. Also, you feel sad all the time. If you always feel tired but have difficulty falling asleep for no particular reason, you are suffering from depression even though you may not realize it yet. Depression can affect anyone, regardless of their skin color, economic status, or age. But it seems to affect more girls than boys.

So, what are the symptoms of depression? People with depression show these symptoms below. If you have five or more of these symptoms most of the time for 2 weeks or longer, you are probably depressed.

■ Feel sad most of the time with no specific reason.
■ Feel tired all the time with lack of energy.
■ Unable to concentrate.
■ Experience significant weight loss or gain.
■ Unable to enjoy the things that you used to enjoy.
■ Have a hard time controlling anger and anxiety.
■ Have sleeping problems.
■ Feel aches and pains with no known medical cause.
■ Think of death or suicide often.
■ Indifferent to the present or the future.

Some teens with depression also feel worthlessness or inner pain. These feelings can lead to eating disorders. Depression can cause many serious problems. But many people don’t really understand depression. Often, many people think a depressed person is just acting lazy. Some people even mistakenly believe that depression is just a temporary mood that a person can change anytime. However, that’s not really true. In some serious cases, depressed people need to see a doctor.

Are you depressed? Well, you are not alone. Depression is one of the most common emotional problems on Earth. Fortunately, it’s also one of the most treatable conditions. About 80 percent of people who get help from doctors for their depression have a better quality of life. Treatment for depression can include talk therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Doctors can help people understand more about why they feel depressed, and ways to combat it.

If you are depressed, you shouldn’t wait and hope it will go away on its own. You can feel much better after getting help from experts. So, don’t hesitate to ask for help!