Teen Depression: How Can You Tell If Your Teen Is Just Sad or Truly Depressed?
Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008
by Sylvia Dickens
Hale Publishing
Teen depression is common, affecting 1 in 8 people at some point. Sometimes, it is overlooked as just a passing mood or being a teenager. While this might apply to a teen's occasional sadness or confusion, if it lasts more than a few weeks, you can be sure it's depression.
What is teen depression?
Teen depression is not much different from anyone else's depression. The part most adults might not understand is why a teen would be depressed. They have only their schoolwork to worry about. They generally appear to have fun with their friends.
They go through considerable changes from the inside out. It takes time to adjust to them and determine how they will react to those new feelings. Meanwhile, they struggle to find a place for themselves within their peer group as well as in the adult world.
A teen who is depressed will withdraw from their friends and family. Shopping trips or other once fun activities no longer hold any interest for a depressed teen. Excessive sleeping is one response. So is lack of concentration, falling grades and lack of motivation. Some teens feel like crying for no apparent reason.
They experience a nagging sadness that just won't go away.
Is your teen depressed?
Here are the common signs that a person is depressed. If you see five or more of these symptoms that last more than two weeks, it's time to address the problem.
This is by no means a complete list, but it gives you a good start.
- Sadness that occurs most of the time without an apparent cause
- Lack of energy and motivation
- Feeling tired constantly
- Loss of interest in things that once brought pleasure
- Withdrawal from society, including friends and family
- Irritability, anger or simmering anxiety
- Lack of concentration
- Loss of appetite with noticeable weight loss or weight gain
- Sleep disruptions, including difficulty falling and staying asleep or getting up
- Sense of guilt
- Reduced self esteem and sense of worth
- Vague aches and pains, including headaches
- Pessimistic
- Indifference to anything about life now or in the future
- Thoughts of suicide when depression is in the extreme
- Self mutilation cutting themselves
- Eating disorders
Offering positive feedback and encouragement, showing that you care and are willing to listen can help. Talking makes great therapy. Allow your teen to talk freely, without judgement or pressure. Keep an open mind as you let them do most of the talking.
Never devalue, belittle or criticize the suffering. Telling your teen that "it's just a temporary thing. It will pass. Just get out and have fun. You're too young to sit brooding. This is the best time of your life" helps no one.
Teens like to feel that their problems are valid. They need a chance to work through them with your guidance and support.
If your approach doesn't improve the situation, perhaps it's time to seek medical assistance from a doctor, therapist or counsellor. If the depression is biological, medication might be necessary.
Since depression can lead to thoughts of death and suicide attempts it's critical that you address the problem as soon as you recognize it, or suspect it.
Take notice when your teen changes his or her behavior or experiences any of the symptoms listed. Respond quickly and you can significantly shorten how long the teen depression lasts.
Get the facts abut teen suicide and teen depression. Sylvia's new ebook, "Understanding Adolescence: A Guide to Teenage Depression and Suicide" provides a complete overview of the transition teens experience as they move between childhood and adulthood and the emotional upheaval that goes with it. Discover how to beat depression.
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