Signs of Depression in Teens to Look Out For

Change can be difficult to navigate for teens. Even adults, who have had more time to develop coping tools, often find themselves struggling to deal with change in their lives. The teenage years are chock-full of changes as one enters adolescence. Depending on how a particular person copes with these changes, they can end up masking the symptoms of depression in teens.

Teen depression is more than just sadness.

It’s not known precisely what causes depression, but several factors may be involved, including a person’s genetics, brain chemistry, learned patterns of negative thinking, and experiences of trauma, among other possible risk factors.

If your teen has depression, it means that he or she is not just feeling sad or going through a phase. Your teen is not just having a bad mood or acting out.

Teen depression goes beyond moodiness and it’s a serious health problem that affects every aspect of a teen’s life, such as thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Depression can cause an overwhelming sense of sadness, despair, or anger.

This often results in your teen becoming extremely sensitive to criticism, especially for those over-achieving teens. It can also result in withdrawing from interactions with others and choosing to socialize less often than before.

If your teen has depression, it’s not something he or she can just get over or power through alone. Your teen needs help from a mental health professional.

Signs of depression in teens.

Depression is a serious mental health challenge that can affect anyone, including teens. But the good news is that depression is treatable, particularly if it is caught early.

It isn’t always easy to differentiate between depression and normal teenage angst with growing pains. If your teen is acting out, being rebellious, or engaging in unhealthy behaviors, these could be indications of depression.

Learning what teen depression looks like is a great first step. A few of the signs and symptoms to watch include the following:

• Anger and irritability, even over small things. Some teens may become violent and aggressive.
• Persistent feelings of sadness, which can be accompanied by crying without good reason.
• Low self-esteem, accompanied by feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and guilt.
• Loss of enthusiasm for activities they previously enjoyed.
• Fixation on past failures, exaggerated self-blame, and heightened self-criticism.
• Reckless behavior such as binge drinking, unprotected sex, reckless driving.
• Drug and alcohol abuse to soothe their feelings.
• Having trouble with making decisions, thinking, remembering, or concentrating, which can lead to problems at school such as failing grades.
• Running away, or talking about running away.
• Sudden and dramatic changes in sleep and diet. They may also experience changes in their weight because of changing eating patterns.
• Excessive smartphone or internet usage to escape problems.
• Self-harm, including cutting or burning.
• Frequent thoughts of dying, death, or suicide, or making a suicide attempt.

Getting help for depression in teens.

Depression can be overwhelming and a painful experience for your teen, as well as disruptive for family life. If you see any of the above symptoms, talk with your teen and speak with your family doctor to get help.

If you are a teen, or if you are a parent of a teen, when there is a danger of suicide, or if there is a suicide attempt, you should reach out for help immediately. You can proceed in the following manner:

• Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
• Make sure that someone stays with the person to monitor him or her.
• If you can do so safely, take him or her to the nearest hospital emergency room for medical attention.

Telling the difference between the typical ups and downs that are simply part of being a teenager and teen depression can be hard. You know your teen best, and you can tell if he or she is acting or feeling differently than normal. Speak with your teen and try to ascertain whether he or she is capable of dealing with challenging feelings, or if he or she is feeling like life is overwhelming.

If, however, the signs and symptoms of depression persist, or if you find that they are interfering in your teen’s life and daily functioning, or if they cause you to have concerns about your teen’s safety, speak to a doctor or a mental health professional who is licensed and trained to work with teens.

Depression can be dealt with through talk therapy, and in some instances, medication may also be helpful. Reach out and speak with a mental health professional such as a Christian counselor at Keller Christian Counseling in Texas to get the help your teen needs.