06:22 PM CDT on Thursday, May 4, 2006

Lisa Manzo, News 4

Click here to watch Lisa Manzo's report

(KMOV) -- Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24.

Experts say many of our teens are suffering depression without getting help to overcome that sense of hopelessness.

Health Team Reporter Lisa Manzo shows you what depression might look like in your teen.

14-year-olds Ami and Alisa Taylor's parents died just as they were entering adolescence. Each sister found her own way of dealing with depression.

"It hurts but you don't really show it," says Alisa.

"You find a different way to let it out and it's not always the best way,” says Ami. “I was crying, and wasn't eating and throwing up."

"School was the last thing I wanted to think about.  I was getting into fights and doing drugs a lot," says Alisa.

At first the twins were labeled behavioral problems, which Logos School Principal Kathy Boyd says is a common misconception of depressed kids.

"Kids don't behave badly just to behave badly. There's a reason for it," says Boyd.

It's estimated 1 in 8 teens is depressed with only 30 percent of them getting treatment for their illness. 

Boyd says it can be tough for parents to tell the difference between typical teen mood swings and depression.

"What we tell our parents is, it's how much it's controlling yours and his or her life.  Teens are going to be moody that's part of being a teen," she says.

After a few rough years the Taylor girls learned to confide in counselors and friends.

Once they started dealing with their problems, their self esteem grew and destructive habits subsided.

Kids can feel hopeless and doomed by their feelings and to just have someone to listen and be understood can help open the door.

Principal Boyd says parents should never start a conversation with the words, “What's wrong with you?”  That can instantly put someone on the defensive and makes the teen feel bad about an illness.

Without help, teens often turn to self-soothing things like drugs, alcohol, high risk behaviors and suicide.

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Resources:

KUTO is dedicated to providing youth focused crisis prevention, suicide intervention and post-intervention support to the community through awareness education and outreach. Fellow teens man the phones, taking calls and helping fellow young people work through their problems. http://www.kmov.com/community/news4angels_kuto.htm

National Institute of Mental Health’s Depression Web site provides detailed information on the warning signs for condition, treatment options and frequently asked questions.  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/letstalk.cfm

Online depression screening test.  http://www.med.nyu.edu/psych/screens/depres.html