Teen Depression: Is Your Teen Suffering from It?

Teen depression is not occasional mood swings or crazy emotions, it is a serious problem that impacts every aspect of a teens life. As many as 1 in 8 teens suffer from depression, so if you think that your teenager may be suffering from it, it is best for you to act on it right away. Depression is very damaging if left untreated, so please don't wait and think that these problems to go away on their own. If you are not sure about whether or not your teen is suffering from this problem, keep reading on to understand more about it.

Signs and Symptoms

- Your teen is constantly irritable, sad, and angry. - Nothing is fun anymore and he/she doesn't see the point of doing it.
- Sleeping too little or too much.
- See him/herself as worthless or wrong in some way. --Anything and everything makes your teen cry.
- Teen is gaining or losing too much weight without trying. - Your teen can't stay focused so his/her grades are slipping.
- Teen thinks about death or suicide.
- Teen has a lack of energy and motivation to do things that he/she is usually interested in.

Differences Between Teen and Adult Depression
-Other than sadness that happens with adults, irritability is often the dominant mood in depressed teens. A depressed teenager may be grumpy, easily frustrated, and may have many angry outbursts.
- Adults tend to isolate themselves when they're depressed. Teenagers usually keep a few friendships, yet they may socialize less than usual, draw away from their parents, or start hanging out with a bad crowd.
- Since depressed teens are usually overwhelmed by feelings of worthlessness, the are extremely sensitive to criticism, rejection, and failure.

If Your teens depression is left untreated it can cause problems at school, running away from all problems and home, substance abuse, low self-esteem, eating disorders, self-injury, violence, and the worst of them all; SUICIDE. Below are the top 6 suicide signs that you need to be aware of and watch very closely:

1. Joking about killing him/herself.
2. Saying he/she would be better off dead, or that they wish they could disappear forever.
3. Writing about dying or killing him/herself.
4. Giving away loved possessions.
5. Saying goodbye to friends and family as if he/she will be gone forever.
6. Looking for weapons, pills, or other ways to kill him/herself.

Tips for Talking to Your Depressed Teen

- Let your teen know that you are there for him/her no matter what. Try not to ask a lot of questions because they don't like to feel patronized or crowded. Let him/her know that you are ready to provide them with any support that he/she may need.

- Don't give up if your teen shuts you out at first, talking about it can be very tough. Talk at your teens comfort level, yet still let them know about what is concerning you.

- Try your best not to criticize your teen once he/she begins to talk. Also don't try to talk your teen out of his/her depression even if the way they feel seems silly to you.

Finding Help and Supporting Your Teen

Make an appointment at your family doctor's immediately for your teen to get a depression screening. Be ready to let you doctor know how long the symptoms have been present, how it's affecting your teens life, and what changes you have noticed. Also let the doctor know what may be the cause of his/her depression if you have any idea.

If there are no health problems that are causing your teens depression, ask your family doctor if they can refer you to a psychiatrist that specializes in teenage depression. As always, make sure to get your teens input on this. If you try to take full control over everything, your teen may not care to even try it. Your teen may not feel comfortable talking to just any psychiatrist, so be sure to find one that your teen will be comfortable talking to.

Be understanding of your teen's depression. You may feel negative emotions during this time, so remember that your teen is not being difficult on purpose. Encourage your teen to stay active and social. Isolating him/herself will only make the depression worse, so encourage your teen to see friends. Offer to take your teen out to social activities that he/she may like. Such as after school games, dances and clubs.

Stay involved during your teens treatment. Make sure your teen is following all the instructions your doctor described. Make sure to track the positive and negative changes in your teens behavior, and make sure you call the doctor if the depression seems to be getting worse.

The road of your teens recovery may be bumpy, so remember to be patient. Remember to be prepared for occasional setbacks your teen may have. And remember to always give your teen the support that he/she may need to make it through this difficult time.

For more about teen depression, please visit the sites below:

www.teendepression.org/articles5.html
www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/teens.htm