Health

Teen Depression: Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment

A teen’s mood can swing like a pendulum when hormones and other life changes are involved.

Research shows one out of every eight adolescents today suffer from teen depression.

The serious problems associated with depression can, however, be treated. When your teen is unhappy for more than two weeks, displaying other symptoms of depression, and they are experiencing other unpleasant feelings, you should consider seeking help from a health professional.

Causes And Signs

Teenagers are often unhappy from time to time. In addition to causing problems in school, depression may interfere with the ability to have good relationships and decrease enjoyment of life. Suicide is one of the worst outcomes of depression.

The causes of depression and its various forms are numerous. A mood disorder is a problem with a person’s emotions, but it can be treated with medication or therapy, so it is of crucial importance that parents and caregivers better understand the issue.

Teen Depression: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

In addition to these difficulties, teenagers can experience divorce, learning disabilities, abuse, and neglect that they’re ill-equipped to handle. These situations make them feel powerless, and their effects may persist well into adulthood. Depression can affect teens of any background. It is also possible that depression is inherited.

Having a family member who is depressed does not mean you will also be depressed. Depression is not solely caused by life events and family history but also by health conditions, negative thinking patterns, and other factors.

Teenagers who are exposed to problems such as poverty and violence may become depressed. Learning disabilities, hormonal changes, and physical illness are all possible triggers for teen depression. The use of drugs and alcohol can also affect mood and lead to depression, and many teens use these substances to manage their emotions.

Knowing the signs of depression in your teen will help you recognize it. Having low grades can lead to teens feeling worthless and inadequate. Several factors can influence teens’ feelings, including school performance, peer groups, sexual orientation, or family life. Stress from the environment can sometimes contribute to teen depression.

There will be a noticeable change in behavior and thinking in teenagers with depression. After school, they may close the door to their room and sit there for hours without motivation. Teen depression can lead to excessive sleeping, eating disorders, and even criminal behaviors. Here are some depression warning signs:

  • Weak energy.
  • Being depressed or feeling hopeless.
  • Among teens, the loss of pleasure or interest in once exciting activities.
  • A distressed teen may brood or become angry.
  • A negative view of the world and life.
  • Organization, concentration, and memory problems.
  • A feeling of anxiety or panic.
  • Being worthless and guilty. There is a chance that the teen feels stupid, ugly, or bad.
  • Changing appetite or weight dramatically.
  • The behavior of a depressed teen differs from that of other teens.
  • A suicidal thought.
  • People withdraw from their friends and families.
  • Having depression can cause restlessness in the classroom, leading to behaviors such as fidgeting.

Types Of Teen Depression

  • Reactive Depression: Teen depression is one of the milder forms of the illness. Depression occurs when a person reacts negatively to an event that they view as negative, such as an insult, rejection, loss, or change in their life, and can last from a few hours to a few months. There is no mental disorder associated with these short-term mood fluctuations.

Teen Depression: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

  • Dysthymia: Usually associated with irritability, Dysthymia is more severe than Reactive Depression. A Dysthymic episode lasts for about a year and is characterized by feeling hopeless, low self-worth, and low energy. Despite its mild severity, Dysthymia can have negative developmental effects on its sufferer when prolonged over time.
  • Bipolar Disorder: A manic or hypomanic is marked by severe mood swings, which can last for several weeks. The manic phase of mania leads to extreme highs, a reduced ability to focus, a short temper, and difficulties sleeping. The increased willingness to engage in risky behaviors, such as drug and alcohol experimentation, is one danger during these manic phases.
  • Major Depression: Due to its severity or intensity, it can be extremely frightening. In contrast to Dysthymia, major depression generally lasts shorter. However, it can still have long-term harmful effects, so it is important to recognize the symptoms as soon as possible.

All types of teen depression are dangerous and should be dealt with as soon as an adolescent exhibits these symptoms. You need to talk to your child about anything related to these disorders as your first step towards treating them. Ask them if they know what caused their depression. If further treatment is necessary, you can determine it after you talk to your child.

Getting Help

The majority of people suffer from depression at some point in their lives. In addition to being treatable, it is also one of the easiest conditions to deal with. Most young people with depression and their friends and families don’t know what to do or where to go for help. Choose a therapist who has experience treating teens if you suspect your kid suffers from depression.

Teen Depression: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

If the counselor you are visiting does not seem to understand your teen’s needs or makes them feel uncomfortable, find another. It will make your child more nervous if the therapist is too formal or cannot establish rapport with them. Ask a doctor, school counselor, friend, or health care provider for a recommendation. Your therapist may prescribe either talk therapy or medication or both, depending on the severity and causes of your teen’s depression.

The best results are usually obtained by combining both. Children with depression feel better after taking an antidepressant, which corrects the chemical imbalance in their brain. The child may still have negative thought patterns that led to depression, and therapy will help change these thought patterns so that they can cope better with life’s stresses. Children and adolescents may become suicidal when taking antidepressants, according to a warning issued by the FDA in September 2004.

The act of talking about suicide does not affect the likelihood of suicide. On the contrary, it may enable you to reach out for help. Antidepressants will cause two or three out of 100 patients to think about suicide. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors should be closely monitored in adolescents who begin antidepressant medications, especially in the early weeks.

Nandana Valsan

Nandana Valsan is a Journalist/Writer by profession and an 'India Book of Records holder from Kochi, Kerala. She is pursuing MBA and specializes in Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s best known for News Writings for both small and large Web News Media, Online Publications, Freelance writing, and so on. ‘True Love: A Fantasy Bond’ is her first published write-up as a co-author and 'Paradesi Synagogue: History, Tradition & Antiquity' is her second successful write-up in a book as a co-author in the National Record Anthology. She has won Millenia 15 Most Deserving Youth Award 2022 in the category of Writer. A lot of milestones are waiting for her to achieve. Being a Writer, her passion for helping readers in all aspects of today's digital era flows through in the expert industry coverage she provides.

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