Teenage depression
Teenage depression
Being a teenager isn’t as easy as it may seem. Of course we’ve all been there and it seems like as we grow older we tend to forget what it was like to be a teenager. On the other hand things have changed in the meantime and children are not the same as they used to be. Still if you are a parent then you should learn how to recognize if something is wrong with your child.
Mood swings and other behavior changes are completely normal when you are young, especially a teenager but as a parent, brother/sister or a friend you should simply make a difference between bad moods, anger, melancholy and a depression. Depression isn’t something you want to mess up with no matter how old you are, especially when you are young and fragile.
Teenage depression can lead to so many dangerous things such as violence, alcohol and drug abuse, self-loathing and unfortunately sometimes even to suicide. That’s why you shouldn’t neglect the symptoms and signs as soon as you notice them.
Signs and symptoms of teenage depression
Young people such as teenagers face a lot of difficulties and changes once they enter puberty. They tend to question themselves for example who they are of if they fit in. These questions and moods often lead to conflict between them and their parents which is why you shouldn’t be surprised. Their hormones are raging. This is the list of symptoms and signs of teen depression:
- Irritability or anger
- Feeling of guilt or worthlessness
- Lack of energy
- Changes in sleeping and eating habits
- Sadness
- Frequent crying
- Family and friends estrangement
How to Help a Depressed Teenager
It is important to mention that sometimes these symptoms are not the signs of depression that maybe your child is simply acting like a typical teenager. But in case you notice that these signs last for quite a while then you should definitely do something about it.
First what you should do is to try to talk to your child, encourage him/her to open up to you and tell you about his/her problems. You need to be very patient, sometimes it takes time for them to open up and speak honestly about something because they are either hiding something or they are too ashamed to give you more details about their problem. The best thing you can do for your kid is to have a non-judgmental and caring way, to show that no matter what you will always be there for him/her.
Even though every parent is concerned about their child and wants to know every problem as soon as possible, do not force your kid to open up if he/she is not ready. If your kid claims that nothing is wrong that it is just something temporarily do not buy that story right away. Trust your instincts because denial is a very strong emotion.
What you should do is to try to help your teen by talking to him/her and simply help him/her to overcome any obstacle. If you fail to do it, then you should seek out a depression specialist, someone who is either a psychiatrist or a psychologist. Depression specialist will know what to do and how to help your child.
