Do you suspect your teen is going through depression? What symptoms should you look out for? How to approach and successfully help your depressed teen through this tough time. This will be discussed in this blog post.
What Is Depression?
The National Institute of Mental Health defines depression, also known as depressive disorder, as a common but serious mood disorder. It has been known to affect how one thinks, feels and acts.
How Serious Is Depression?
Depression is not a meagre mood change and it needs to be dealt with with the seriousness it deserves. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 280 million people in the world have depression. It is a pandemic in the brewing and the numbers are only increasing each day the problem is not being managed.
Depressive disorder is specifically serious because;
- a) Depression can happen to anyone; from different ages, occupations and genders. It is not a miracle to hear an old man of 70 years taking depression medication, same for a 20-year-old young man. The disorder does not have a preference – it happens to anyone from any background.
- b) Depression can affect any aspect of your life. That is, the symptoms of depression such as mood changes, poor concentration, and disrupted sleep among others affect different aspects of your life. That makes it difficult for someone to lead these aspects of life successfully.
- c) Depression can lead to suicide; suicidal thoughts are a major concern in today’s world due to their alarming numbers. Approximately more than 700,000 people die due to suicide annually, according to the World Health Organisation.
Symptoms Of Depression You Should Look for In Your Teen
Emotional Changes
Persistent sadness.
Depression affects your mood. You become sad for longer than it is usual, such episodes last for a couple of days or weeks. Your teen might always seem bothered and sad even during events that should be lively.
Feelings of worthlessness and guilt.
Victims of depression usually undergo episodes of negative self-talk and self-blaming depression. You might find your teen blaming themselves for things that they had little or no hand in. Downplaying their competency or having an inferiority complex in which they say they are not enough or good enough for something.
Behavioural Changes
Withdrawal from social interactions.
Depression leads to a decrease in self-esteem and can lead an individual to prefer being alone rather than taking part in activities that need them to be socially active. You will find your teen locking themselves in their rooms and showing reluctance when being asked to take part in activities that require them to be socially active.
Losing interest in activities;
Depression is a motivation killer. Activities that your teen used to find great and enjoyable are now tedious. They would rather spend five hours in the room rather than take part in football practice they always looked toward every weekend.
Difficulty concentrating.
Depression has an enormous effect on your cognitive functions in your brain affecting your attention, memory and concentration. They develop a brain fog that makes focusing on things difficult. You will find that they will have difficulty concentrating on tasks such as chores.
Writing farewell notes.
An alarming symptom of depression, especially in the severe stage is when individuals start writing farewell notes, these may be in the form of notes, letters or even social media posts. This is because of the feeling of hopelessness that comes with depression, making the individual feel as if their family members and friends would be better without them. Please take immediate action whenever you come across such.
Physical Changes
Fatigue/ chronic tiredness.
You will notice your teen will complain about being physically tired and lacking the energy to do different tasks. This might seem like a normal case of laziness, however, it affects more than 90% of people with depressive disorder.
Physical aches and pains.
Your teen might complain about frequent headaches and in some cases stomachache. These complaints may be without a clear medical cause in some cases.
Sleep problems.
The depressive disorder does have an effect on your sleep patterns. You might find your teen sleeping for longer than expected. For example, they might wake up at noon while they slept early having sleep periods of more than 9 or 10 hours. A disorder called hypersomnia or insomnia which is difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
Changes in appetite.
The disorder basically has a huge effect on the adolescent’s appetite. They might find themselves eating a little more or less than usual or expected, and as a result, they experience an increase or loss of weight.
Social Changes
School performance.
Depression symptoms such as a lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating as well as sleep problems, have a huge impact on their performance in their school work. You might want to have a close discussion with the teachers to understand these changes as well as be informed on other issues affecting your teen.
Fights with friends.
Impulsivity is another symptom you have to look out for as a parent. Your teen may seem to act without thinking about the consequences, this may contribute to them developing conflicts with individuals in the society no matter how close they might have been before.
How Do You Approach Your Depressed Teen?
As a parent, you have to understand that at this time any kind of negative approach to your teen might cause them to react in unpredictable ways. These might include fights, drug use, and in worst-case scenarios, suicide. So how do you approach them after noticing the patterns and symptoms?
Choose the right time and place.
Set the meeting at a time that is comfortable for both parties, the place should be peaceful and have no distractions.
Be non-judgmental.
In such a sensitive conversation, try as much as possible to show understanding and be open-minded to what you might hear. The language and facial expressions should show empathy and understanding.
Be attentive.
Instead of being the all-knowing parent, be an active listening and learning partner. At this time understanding what your teen is going through and how they think they are going to receive help is really of great importance.
Encourage professional help
This is a crucial point of the conversation, some serious disorders such as depression cannot be treated successfully by just home remedies. You need to have some professional help and medication so as to actually see results and changes in how your teen feels about themselves.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, recognizing and addressing depression in your teen is a critical aspect of their well-being. Being vigilant about the signs and taking proactive steps to support them through this difficult time can help them improve and prevent painful and devastating occurrences.
Seeking professional help is a vital step of the journey. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional whenever necessary.
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