Understanding and Supporting Your Depressed Teen: Coping with the Challenges of Adolescence
Being a teenager can make for a challenging time because of expectations at school, peer pressure, and the changes that invariably occur in the body. For many teenagers, these problems and the feelings that come with them will be fleeting. However, some adolescents will experience long-lasting feelings of depression, which can result in losing interest in certain activities and having a consistent feeling of sadness.
When your child is depressed, it’s not a sign of weakness or a feeling that can be pushed past with willpower. Over time, depression can lead to severe consequences as well as the need for treatment. It’s possible for the symptoms associated with depression to subside following the application of medication and psychological counseling. As a parent, your support and guidance may be what your child needs to overcome their depression once and for all.
Signs That Your Child Is Depressed
While there are many different signs and symptoms that indicate your child is suffering from depression, most of these signs center around changes in behavior and attitude. Depression symptoms vary in how severe they are. The emotional changes that you should be on the lookout for include:
- Unexplained feelings of sadness
- Annoyed or irritated mood
- Feeling empty or hopeless
- Feeling angry and frustrated
- Feeling guilty or worthless
- Losing interest in activities
- Losing interest in family/friends
- Having low self-esteem
- Regular thoughts of death
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Heightened sensitivity to failure
- Focusing on past failures
Some of the behavioral changes you might notice in your child include:
- Sleeping too much
- Insomnia
- Loss of energy
- Slowed speaking and thinking
- Using drugs or alcohol
- Significant changes in appetite
- Regular complaints of headaches
- Restlessness or agitation
- Inattentive to hygiene/appearance
- Self-harm or suicide attempt
- Risky behavior
- Angry outbursts
- Bad school performance
- Social isolation
It can be challenging to determine if these emotional and behavioral changes are the result of depression or the everyday experience of being a teenager. You may be able to confirm your belief that your child is depressed by speaking with them and trying to identify if life is overwhelming to them at the moment.
How Teen Depression Differs From Adult Depression
Depression can affect adolescents and adults differently. For instance, angry and irritable moods are more common among teenagers when compared to adults. In comparison, adults who are experiencing depression are more likely to feel sad. Depressed adolescents may feel frustrated, hostile, and grumpy at a higher rate than adults.
Aches and pains are also more common among teenagers. Depressed adolescents regularly complain about stomachaches and headaches. If an examination doesn’t result in a medical reason for these issues, they could be brought about by depression.
Warning Signs of Suicide Among Adolescents
There are many warning signs of suicide that can be detected among adolescents. Children who have experienced life-threatening events, traumatic situations, or violence in the past may be more prone to becoming depressed and considering suicide.
Some of the signs that you should look for in your child include dramatic personality changes, constantly being bored and unable to concentrate, acting out more frequently than usual, running away from home, quickly losing most friends, and the quality of their schoolwork dropping.
You should also look for signs that your child has begun to consume drugs or alcohol. While this may simply be an indication that your child has become depressed, it could also mean that he or she is having suicidal thoughts. Have you noticed recently that your child’s appearance has begun to change for the worse? If so, your child may no longer care about their appearance because they are contemplating ending their life.
Some of the more notable signs of suicidal thoughts include giving away prized possessions without any forewarning, writing poems or notes about death, and jokingly talking about suicide. If your child has attempted to commit suicide before, the thoughts that caused them to do so might still exist. Depression doesn’t typically go away on its own.
Primary Causes of Adolescent Depression
The causes of depression aren’t exactly clear. However, there are some issues that could contribute to feelings of depression. For instance, brain chemistry could play a part in causing depressing feelings to surface. Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that are designed to transfer signals to other areas of your body and brain. If these chemicals are damaged or increased to uncommon levels, the nerve receptor functions can be altered, which leads to depression.
A hormonal imbalance could occur and trigger your child’s depression. There may also be some inherited traits that make depression more likely. If a close blood relative has had depression in the past, your child could develop the same condition. Keep in mind that traumatic events that occur during childhood can lead to changes in the person’s brain that boost the possibility of depression.
Your child might also be at risk of depression if they have learned the patterns associated with negative thinking. When you encounter a problem, you can either search for solutions or experience feelings of hopelessness. In this situation, past patterns of negative thinking can outweigh any positive thoughts.
Potential Risk Factors
There is a wide range of factors that could increase your child’s risk of experiencing depression. Because of the ample peer pressure that exists at this age, any negative issues that impact your child’s self-esteem could be amplified. These issues extend to obesity, academic problems, and bullying. If the root cause of the depression is identified, it may be easier to determine which treatment will be most effective.
Your child might also be more at risk if he or she has been diagnosed with additional mental health conditions in the past, such as anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, or anorexia.
Depression is considerably more likely among children who have ADHD or a learning disability. Just like adults, teenagers are more at risk of depression if they have been diagnosed with a physical illness like asthma, cancer, or diabetes. Some of the personality traits that place your child at risk of depression are:
- Being pessimistic
- Having low self-esteem
- Being too dependent
- Being overly self-critical
If any of these issues are also present in immediate family members, depression could occur. For instance, having a parent or blood relative who suffers from bipolar disorder or depression is a clear risk factor. If a family member died of suicide, depression may be more likely. The same is true if there are major communication issues in the family.
Potential Complications to Consider
Some of the signs attributed to depression are also issues that could cause your child to suffer further consequences as a result of their depression. When depression is left untreated, it can lead to health, emotional, and behavioral issues that impact every facet of your child’s life.
The many complications that develop from adolescent depression include damage to family relationships, lasting academic issues, suicide attempts, and the misuse of alcohol and drugs. When an adolescent develops a substance use disorder, it could persist until long-term treatment is obtained through outpatient treatment or inpatient rehab.
There are some preventive measures that can be used to keep depression at bay in your child. Encourage your child to practice different self-care techniques, which can include maintaining a good sleep routine or using computers in moderation. Children should also reach out to their friends in times of need.
Certain steps can also be taken to keep stress levels low, increase self-esteem, and boost resilience. Treatment can be obtained at the first sign of depression. Once your child receives treatment, it may need to be maintained to keep the depression symptoms from returning.
What to Expect From a Doctor’s Appointment
If you’re getting ready to take your child to the doctor to determine if he or she is suffering from depression, you should know what to expect from this visit. Your child can be involved in preparing for this appointment as well, which could help them be more receptive to treatment once they arrive at the doctor’s office.
Consider making a list of any symptoms that your child has had. You could also provide some personal information in this list, which includes recent life changes or major stresses that might be triggering the depression. All herbal remedies, medications, and vitamins that your child is currently taking should be written down.
During the appointment, there is a wide range of questions that you might want to ask your doctor to help them make a diagnosis. For instance, you could inquire about the possibility of depression being the main cause of your child’s symptoms. It’s possible that an underlying health issue is the actual cause.
Before treatment begins, you can find out what types of tests your teen will take as well as the types of treatment that will produce the best results. If your child is set to take medications, inquire about the potential side effects that might occur and if a generic alternative is available.
During the initial treatment, you can find out how progress will be monitored for the duration of treatment. If your child has been diagnosed with other health conditions in the past, consider asking your doctor if these conditions are linked to the possible depression diagnosis. Ask if your child should see a mental health professional as part of their treatment.
Questions a Doctor Might Ask
Along with the questions you might ask during the doctor’s visit, your child’s doctor will also have some questions of their own. You might be asked when friends or family members began to notice signs of depression. Your child will also be asked about how long their depressing feelings have persisted and if these feelings are accompanied by mood changes.
Your child’s doctor might want to know about the severity of the symptoms as well as how much these symptoms interfere with relationships and school. If your child has any physical or mental health conditions that they’ve been diagnosed with, the doctor will want to know about these. A family history of depression and other mood disorders will also be sought.
The additional questions your child’s doctor asks could center around how long your child sleeps at night, if anything improves your child’s symptoms, and what their current dietary habits are. The responses your teen has could result in the doctor asking more questions during the appointment.
Depression is a serious condition that can lead to your child being unable to maintain a happy and healthy lifestyle during their formative years. While it’s challenging to pinpoint an exact cause for depression, a doctor may be able to help you and your child understand why this condition has developed and what treatments may prove effective.
If you are worried about your child experiencing depression, you can also reach out to the National Depression Hotline. Our kind, helpful staff can connect you to free mental health resources. We can also provide information about treatment options in your area. The hotline is free and available 24/7, so you can get help whenever it’s needed. Call today at (866) 629-4564.
