Ortiz 1

Paola Ortiz
Mrs. Cruz
English 3-4
25 Apr 2016
Depression with the Boys on the Island
Usually when a person is sad all someone wants is to have somebody there for them.
While depression is getting the best of someone and tearing them down, all they need is someone
there to support them because around 350 million people around the globe will suffer from this.1
This is one of the most common mental disorders to be found in young adults under the age of
24. Depression is a mood disorder that will make someone feel a constant feeling of sadness and
a loss of interest. From the book The Lord of the Flies, the boys on the island are not provided
any attention from their peers, they dont take care of the littluns to even care enough to help
them overcome depression or any one to support them, therefore they are going to have to learn
how to recognize the causes, symptoms, and alternate things to do to help themselves.
To recognize whether someone is going through depression there are some causes of depression
that are due to abuse, death of a loved one, personal problems or other reasons.2 When someone
is abused sexually, physically, or emotionally it potentially increases someone's vulnerability to
depression because it makes them feel less of a person. When someone experiences this type of
abuse they will keep it in their head and tell themselves that on some level it was their fault that
whatever had happened to them was their fault, therefore causing them to be unhappy with
themselves or their life. Before the boys landed on that island, anything could have happened to
1 "11 Facts About Depression | DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social ..." 2015. 9 May. 2016
<https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-depression>

2 "Causes of Depression: Genetics, Illness, Abuse, and More - WebMD." 2007. 9 May. 2016
<http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/causes-depression>

Ortiz 2
them before or even on the island. The boys could be facing emotional or physical abuse from
their peers, such as bullying. Verbal, physical, emotional and prejudicial bullying are the 4 types
they could be facing3. Although a potential death of a loved would also be what is causing it.
When someone in your family or someone you loved or you were very close to, it really kills you
inside to realize they are gone and never going to see them again. It will make you feel very
unhappy and sometimes you can feel lost from having that emptiness there. The boys from the
island could be feeling this way for this reason too, their friends and family could have died the
day that plane crashed. Since only the boys that are currently on the island only have each other
they could all be mourning together. However maybe that is not the case, it can be something
other than being abused or the death of a loved one. Personal problems can also be another cause
of depression. People tend to bottle up their emotions inside instead of venting to someone.
Bottling your emotions is not good, it really makes you feel an intense sentiment of emptiness
inside. Even though no one can tell and the boys are not able to read each other's minds. They
can talk to each other if something is really bothering them they can not keep it to themselves,
however the boys are probably going to have a hard time doing so due to the fact that there is a
lot of tension between them all. Some like each other and some dislike each other and some
simply do not care for anyone elses feelings but their own. So, how are the boys going to know
if they are depressed or if someone else is depressed? Thats where the symptoms of depression
come in and one has to be able to recognize them first hand.
Some of the symptoms one may encounter are difficulty making decisions, reoccurrence
of feeling sad and thoughts of suicide.4 Difficulty making decisions is one of the many symptoms
3 "6 Types of Bullying - About Health." 2016. 9 May. 2016 <https://www.verywell.com/types-of-bullying460491>

4 "NIMH Depression: What You Need To Know." 2016. 9 May. 2016

<http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-what-you-need-to-know-12-2015/>

Ortiz 3
that comes along with having depression. It can be very risky for the boys on the island. One
wrong move or decision, such as agreeing for a certain boy to be chief who is very inconsiderate
of others and they can risk themselves and everyone else on the island. Decision making is one
of the most important things they have to do while they are living on the island because it is their
only form of surviving. Another symptom is the persistent feeling of sadness. What this basically
is, is when someone just feels sad over a prolonged period of time. The boys might feel this way
because they are going through a hard time with everything going on for them. All the bickering
and verbal abuse that they are experiencing at such a young age would cause such a thing.
Ultimately all the things they go through can lead to them being unhappy about it and have
suicidal thoughts. Thoughts of suicide is another symptom of depression, though this symptom
can often be fatal. These thoughts can occur in somebodys head while going through depression.
The thoughts people get are typically of them wanting to kill themselves to end it all and not be
in the world they live in. Why you may ask? It is usually because they get so sick and tired of
feeling the emotional pain they feel inside. Those thoughts will tend to get the best of somebody
really quick and potentially lead so something much greater, and fatal. However, there are things
the boys on the island can to to help themselves or each other.
Since the boys on the island do not have any type of professional attention or
medications, they can improvise and do other things to help.5 One thing the boys can do is to try
to spend time with one another to gain trust and not isolate themselves from everyone. Having
someone to be with is great when going through a rough patch. Also, building a trust with
everyone on the island can potentially help the boys be open about their feelings and talk about
them instead of keeping it inside. But, also not isolating yourself from your peers because it will
5 "NIMH Depression." 2007. 9 May. 2016 <https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/>

Ortiz 4
make you feel a lot more sad. For example, one of the boys named Simon he would isolate
himself from everyone else. He would have his own hiding spot to get away from everyone. He
could of tried to exercise instead of isolating himself though. Exercise can help improve your
mood in this case, it can help treat depression. HelpGuide.org6 stated, It also releases
endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good.
Finally, exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out
of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression.7 Basically what this quote is saying is
that the endorphins that are released during exercise, stimulates your whole body and makes you
feel a whole lot better. It is also a good source to get your mind off of things and having some
time to yourself but instead of not doing anything youre being productive. People really do this,
they get up and exercise to empty their thoughts from their head. It is basically as if it is an
antidepressant for them. Another thing they can do is to not to expect to get better really quick.
Getting by depression takes time, it is not something you can get by the blink of an eye. The boys
on the island are going to have to accept this if they or someone they know is going through
depression. Patience is key, and your mood will gradually get better over time.
In all, the boys on the island are not being provided any attention from the other boys on
the island to help them get through this. Everyone suffering from this mood disorder needs
emotional support from their peers, they will need to learn what is causing it, recognize the
symptoms, and find things to do to help. Many children, teenagers, and adults suffer from this all
around the globe and it is important to know if someone is going through it to figure out what
you can do to assist the person or yourself. Everyone should be able to know this to be able to
6 "The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise: The Exercise Prescription for ..." 2014. 9 May. 2016
<http://www.helpguide.org/articles/exercise-fitness/emotional-benefits-of-exercise.htm>

7 "The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise - HelpGuide.org." 2014. 28 Apr. 2016

<http://www.helpguide.org/articles/exercise-fitness/emotional-benefits-of-exercise.htm>

Ortiz 5
tell the boys to talk to someone and vent to them, or exercise if they dont want to talk. As for the
readers, they should know how to acknowledge anyone who is going through this or if
themselves personally, to talk to them or someone and vent, do not just keep your mouth shut
and speak to those around you. At the end of the day, family and friends is all you got, and if you
were in the boy's shoes, and stuck on an island, they are your family and you should be able to
count on them for anything.

Works Cited
"NIMH Depression." 2007. 18 Apr. 2016
<https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/>
"NIMH Depression: What You Need To Know." 2016. 21 Apr. 2016
<http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-what-you-need-to-know12-2015/>
"NIMH Depression: What You Need To Know." 2016. 21 Apr. 2016
<http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-what-you-need-to-know12-2015/>

Ortiz 6
"NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness | Depression." 2015. 21 Apr. 2016
<https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Depression>
"NIMH Depression." 2007. 22 Apr. 2016
<https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/>
"Causes of Depression: Genetics, Illness, Abuse, and More." 2007. 21 Apr. 2016
<http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/causes-depression>
"Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms - Mayo ..." 2014. 28 Apr. 2016
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depressionand-exercise/art-20046495>
"The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise - HelpGuide.org." 2014. 28 Apr. 2016
<http://www.helpguide.org/articles/exercise-fitness/emotional-benefits-ofexercise.htm>
"11 Facts About Depression | DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social ..." 2015. 9 May.
2016 <https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-depression>