Adolescents and Teen Depression
The school year is well underway, and stress levels are on the increase with the kids. Do you ever wonder whether your irritable or unhappy adolescent might be experiencing teen depression? Of course, most teens feel unhappy at times. And when you add hormone havoc to the many other changes happening in a teen’s life, it’s easy to see why their moods swing like a pendulum. Yet findings show that one out of every eight adolescents have teen depression. But depression can be treated as well as the serious problems that come with it. So, if your teen’s unhappiness lasts for more than two weeks and he or she displays other symptoms of depression, it may be time to seek help from a health professional.
Why Do Anolescents get Depression?
There are multiple reasons why a teenager might become depressed. For example, teens can develop feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy over their grades. School performance, social status with peers, sexual orientation, or family life can each have a major effect on how a teen feels. Sometimes, teen depression may result from environmental stress. But whatever the cause, when friends or family – or things that the teen usually enjoys – don’t help to improve his or her sadness or sense of isolation, there’s a good chance that he or she has teen depression.
What Are the Symptoms of Teen Depression?
Often, kids with teen depression will have a noticeable change in their thinking and behavior. They may not be motivated and even become withdrawn, closing their bedroom door after school and staying in their room for hours.
Kids with teen depression may sleep excessively, have a change in eating habits, and may even exhibit criminal behaviors such as DUI or shoplifting. Here are more signs of depression in adolescents even though they may or may not show all signs:
- Apathy
- Complaints of pains, including headaches, stomach aches, low back pain, or fatigue
- Difficultly concentrating
- Difficulty making decisions
- Excessive or inappropriate guilt
- Irresponsible behavior—for example, forgetting obligations, being late for classes, skipping school.
- Loss of interest in food or compulsive overeating that results in rapid wight loss or gain
- Memory loss
- Preoccupation with death and dying
- Rebellious behavior
- Sadness, anxiety, or a feeling of hopelessness
- Staying awake at night and sleeping during the day
- Sudden drop in grades
- Use of alcohol or drugs and promiscuous sexual activity
- Withdrawal from friends