This:
Is relevant to recent discussion here. I think it over-emphasises depression in teenage years - particularly early teenagers. I'd say many teenagers are more angsty/dissatisfied than out-and-out depressed. Sure, I know plenty who are/have been (myself included), but I think people do tend to confuse angst with depression. Thing is, there's a lack of empathy on both sides. Teenagers are completely inexperienced and much is new to them, so things that are really very minor seem huge - this coupled with other factors (like changes and whatnot) is a recipe to make them potentially horrible people. When people grow up a bit, go out into the real world, they realise how silly everything they thought was huge was, so they look down on those going through it currently (which is totally understandable, because teenagers have a tendency to moan about nothing while adults actually have bigger problems).
I have a pretty good life. Not anything major I can really complain about. A few things from the past maybe, but they're not really relevant any more, and seem pretty small nowadays, so I can't really complain. When I started getting really down, I figured it would just be a phase, which helped a bit, because it gave me some hope and allowed me to get on with things. I didn't really bother to do much about it outside of small things and when I didn't 'grow out of it' or whatever, it did the opposite of helping. I gave up. I used it as an excuse to do even less because I couldn't be bothered. So some attitudes can be detrimental.
Some people will claim they're depressed when they're not, which can lead to people who really are being ignored. It can also lead them to not doing anything about things they dislike, think 'it's a chemical imbalance, it's nothing I can change' so they don't. Same can happen with real depression, which shows that there are similarities between depression and teen angst, but they certainly are not the same - but I'm just iterating what you guys have said.
Essentially, it's a case-by-case thing.
I think people can get too caught up in teen depression - particularly teenagers themselves - which could be potentially dangerous, because the focus is lost where it's needed: in age groups with more real depression and higher suicide rates. Equally, dismissing what is potentially a serious mental illness as angst can be just as detrimental. Like I said, it's an individual thing to each case, but there doesn't seem to be as much teenager depression as some make out. You don't want to miss an actual case of it, but a lot of teenagers are just kinda... pathetic. Me included, though I think I have a better perspective of things than some I know. I have some of the less-than-likeable traits of typical teenagers, but I try to be as self-aware as possible and avoid them when I can. I think being here does help, because there is a good sense of well-balanced perspective here. At least I think so.
hrug:
Basically, teens are a really shitty time because they're often not that shitty. Unless of course you had a good time, which I think most probably do largely, it's just easy to forget.