Today, more and more teenagers are suffering from depression. It is estimated that, at any time, between 10-15% of teens encounter some level of depression. Many parents have teens that struggle with depression, and if you are one of them, you know it can be challenging. Teenage depression comes in many different forms, and there isn’t just one root cause of it. The severity of depression also depends on biological, psychological, and/or environmental risk factors. This becomes particularly difficult if you never dealt with depression in adolescence, as it is near impossible for you to relate to what he or she is experiencing. However, with education, you can increase your ability to understand what your teen is going through, and thus, provide more support.
Depression is a serious mental illness that causes individuals to feel persistently sad, down, unhappy, and even hopeless. Teenage depression, in general, is often experienced in a fairly similar way to that of depression in adults. Yet, differences tend to lie in the level of intensity of emotions and the resulting behaviors.
Depression can look different from one teenager to the next. But there are some general symptoms that tend to present across the board, including:
Although being able to spot the symptoms of depression in your teen is important, it does not mean he or she will be open to discussing it with you. In order to provide the best support for your child (and encourage open communication), understanding what he or she is truly going through is key.
Many teens are excited about the future, eager to progress to the next stage of life and move into adulthood. If your teen is struggling with depression, thinking about the future most likely brings up feelings hopelessness and despair. A depressed teens outlook is often dampened, and motivation to make plans or move forward in life is often stunted.
Feelings of worthlessness and/or guilt are common emotional responses for depressed teens. Frequently, these feelings are associated with the low self-esteem inherent to depression. Teens with depression regularly the belief they are in some way defective, thus spurring the worthlessness and guilt.
Depression can be confusing to teenagers, as one moment they might feel fine, and the next, a sudden wave of extreme sadness or hopelessness shows up. At other times, your teen may feel nothing at all, like a general numbness. Because of the unpredictability of moods with this mental illness, it is likely your teen has periods of feeling anxious, unsettled, and confused.
If you suspect your teen is suffering from depression and needs help, contact the experts at Polaris Teen Center at 1-844-836-0222.
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This post was last modified on January 15, 2021 3:15 pm
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