"A dark and threatening cloud was slowly casting a shadow over my mind." “I felt weighed down, oppressed by the weight of having to face a new day.” “. . . An overwhelming sense of desperation unlike anything I'd ever experienced before." “It was like something else had taken over my mind.” “The darkness was spreading inside me like a cancer (Irwin 1+). — These are how Cait Irwin, who suffered from depression as a teenager, described it. They show how terrible and scary depression can be during adolescence. Depression and suicide are closely linked. “In fact, about two-thirds of all people who die by suicide have some type of depressive disorder” (Irwin 47). Adolescent depression is a common but serious illness that can ultimately send some teens into a downward spiral toward suicide, but both depression and suicide can be prevented if the symptoms are recognized and the proper treatment is provided. Many teens will experience some type of depression throughout their lives, and many people may not realize the common aspects of teen depression or its severity. Many people also don't know what depression really is. In reality, depression is a mental disorder that involves being sad or irritable almost all the time or losing interest or enjoyment in almost everything. These feelings last at least two weeks and cause significant discomfort or difficulty in daily activities. (Irwin 11) This definition of depression suggests that depression is serious because it affects the things that adolescents do in their daily lives. According to the National Comorbidity Survey, “14% of adolescents experience major depression by age 18.” This is approximately one in seven adolescents. In the same ... half of the article ...... by eliminating risk factors, it is possible to prevent adolescent suicide. Works Cited Harper, Gordon, Andrea Marks, and W. Michael Nelson, III. "Adolescent Depression: Neglected and Undertreated. (Adolescent Medicine)." Patient care. October 2002: 37+. Student resources in context. Network. November 4, 2013. .Irwin, Cait, Dwight L. Evans, and Linda Wasmer Andrews. Monochrome Days: A first-hand account of a teenager's experience with depression. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007. Print. “Major Depressive Episode and Treatment Among Adolescents: 2009” NSDUH Report. 28 April 2011: np SIRS Issues Researcher. Network. 04 November 2013. .National Institute of Mental Health. "Depression." NIMH. National Institute of Mental Health, 2011. Web. November 25, 2013. “Adolescent Suicide.” Student resources in context. Gale, 2012. Web. 4 November. 2013. .