Signs of Teenage Depression
Is It Just A Bad Mood...?
In this article we look at the signs of teenage depression. We outline three common types of depression and what help may be available.
We've all had days where we feel 'down'. This is something that an adult can usually just 'shake off'.
Unless you've suffered from real depression it can be hard to maintain empathy and support for depression in teenagers.
Hopefully the following information will help you to cope and be supportive.
The Depressed Mood
- This is generally pretty short lived.
- A depressed mood is characterized by feeling ‘blue’ or ‘down’. It’s a niggling feeling of sadness that is deflating but doesn’t usually interfere with going to school, playing sport, or whatever else is on.
- It may be triggered by losing at sport, a fight with a friend, something they’d been looking forward to being cancelled, and so on.
- This type of depressed mood can usually be lifted by talking it through with a friend or parent, or being distracted by something fun.
Mild Depression
Known as ‘Dysthymia’, this is a persistent feeling of depression that can hang around for a year or more.
Signs of teenage depression are:
- Although mild, it needs to be taken seriously. Its persistence may have an impact on your teenager’s quality of life and may lead to other problems.
- Your teenager may drop out of sport or other activities they had previously enjoyed.
- They may be lethargic and find concentrating on school work becomes very difficult.
- They may over eat or find they have no appetite.
- They may develop insomnia but want to sleep all the time.
- They may believe they are worthless, no good at anything, that nobody likes them and that there is nothing to look forward to.
- This condition needs professional help to lift it. It may involve medication, or counseling may be enough.
Seek help if you feel this describes your teen. This condition will have a knock on effect into other areas in your teen’s life.
Major Depression
This is a serious clinical illness. It is characterized by the person feeling extremely low all the time with no enjoyment of life. Suicide is a very real risk.
It can be brought on by the death of a loved one, breaking up with a girl or boyfriend, or a similar emotional and stressful time. It can also appear for no apparent reason.
Signs of teenage depression are:
- Have no interest in their usual activities.
- Have trouble getting to and staying asleep.
- Start eating too much or have no appetite.
- Have no energy.
- Can’t cope with school work.
- Withdraw from friends.
- Talk about being worthless or no good.
- Be very emotional and sad.
- Become angry easily and be very touchy.
- Feel responsible for everything that goes wrong.
- They may start using drugs or drinking alcohol.
- Lose interest in how they look.
- Become a hypochondriac and believe they have a terminal illness.
- Suffer from severe headaches and other aches and pains.
- Not care about their own safety.
- Seek out ways to break rules, laws, and take risks.
- Make comments about ‘wishing they had never been born’ or that 'life isn’t worth living'.
- Become very interested in death and suicide.
You know your teenager best. if they just don't seem themselves, then you need to keep an eye on them and see if you can find an explanation.
The signs of teenage depression can be confused or lost in our busy lives and the changes that naturally occur during the teenage years.
Important Note:
Always seek the advice of your medical professional if you are concerned for your teenager in any way.
Help For Teenage Depression
You and your teenager do not have to "tough" this out by yourselves.
There are many ways to treat depression. Some alleviate the black mood, some lift it completely.
Your teenager may never suffer from depression again, or they may battle it periodically through out their lives.
Commonsense says that managing depression now will give the best outcome for your teenager's longterm health.
Read more here...
Teen Suicide
Teen suicide often comes without warning. It's not something that parents want to think about, but as with everything, knowledge is better than ignorance.
If you have a teenager who suffers from depression then you must know what to look out for.
Sometimes, suicide can be a quick decision based on a single traumatic event. Again, know what to look out for.
Read more here...
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