Depression, a common mental disorder manifested by depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt, or low self-esteem, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy and poor concentration. It turns out that this mental illness affects adolescents as well as adults. Studies show that 20% of adolescents will suffer from depression before reaching adulthood. When you suffer from depression, you often struggle to live a normal day-to-day life. The “Catcher in the Rye” written by JD Salinger tells about the main character Holden Caulfield, a hostile and negative person, who suffers from severe depression. Adolescence is, without a doubt, the most confusing and difficult years of a person's life. they are preparing to enter adulthood. A wave of anxiety-filled adolescence leads to an anxiety-filled adult life, followed by a variety of prescription medications and therapy sessions. Throughout the novel "Catcher in the Rye", Holden shows several signs of depression in various areas of his life, such as lying, suicidal thoughts, and constantly repeating the word "depressing" to itself. Lying usually becomes second nature to those suffering from depression, as they feel the need to protect themselves from the world. Holden assumes that he lies to almost every adult he meets so that he can mask his insecurities and shelter his lack of inspiration in life. Holden is "the most terrible liar you've ever seen" (16) when it comes to people wanting to help him find his way in life. His frequently used technique was to push people away by telling them "don't worry about me... everything will be fine, I'm just going through a phase" (18) when in reality Holden is screaming, hoping that someone will. ...... middle of paper ...... ng burden of his life but it's time to stop. Depression is a major concern today and takes a toll on everyone, not just the person diagnosed with it. but also their family. It's not always obvious when someone is depressed. Everyone deals with depression differently, in their own way, but depression is a medical problem that should be treated by a professional. Unfortunately, Holden allowed his depression to fester disproportionately, leading him to live a life full of emptiness, guilt, and compulsive lies and thus his way of dealing with his problem. Now the teens and Holden share a multitude of issues such as the loss of a loved one, drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure that lead to depression. We need families to take note and do something to end teenage depression. Works Cited Salinger, JD The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.