Analysis Of John Green s Looking For Alaska - 1423 Words

Crippling mental diseases, such as depression and anxiety, have always existed among adults. In recent years, however, the number of adolescents affected by such illnesses has drastically increased. In fact, a 2008 study presented in the Archives of General Psychiatry â€Å"found that nearly half of 19- to 25-year-olds have at least one psychiatric disorder† (Brondou â€Å"Study Shows†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). The average teenager juggles school, family and social stress as well as transitioning from childhood to adulthood. The effects of these mental burdens can be seen in Looking for Alaska by John Green. Though several characters show traits connected to depression, these characteristics are seen more clearly the narrator’s love interest, Alaska. The book†¦show more content†¦Consequently, the stress of change often leads to mental diseases. In Green’s novel, Alaska recounts the worst day of her life when she witnessed her mother’s death as a young chi ld. She explains in horrific detail that â€Å"[her mother] was lying on the floor, holding her head and jerking† (Green 119). Alaska carries guilt from her lack of calling for help during her mother’s final minutes. This frightening experience leads her to suffer from depression from a young age, and changes the way she develops in society. Since teenagers mainly become depressed due to an extensive number of causes and are just becoming original humans, they feel as though they cannot solve their problems. While adults can voluntarily seek therapy treatment or personal medication, teens are either forced to do so or their parents are totally unaware. The circumstances caused by traumatic and stressful events, as well as restricting social standards, lead to development of teen depression. The difference in treatment between adolescents and adults is quite large, leaving youths shorthanded in seeking out help for their disease. Depression, by nature, can be hard to di agnose. In many cases, teenagers do not