Depression has become a serious problem among people of all ages and generations, especially among teenagers. Although these young people have always dealt with it, it seems as if in the past few years, this mental health problem has become even more common.
When depression strikes a person, their life is turned upside down because it doesn’t allow them to properly think and behave. These people are usually constantly sad and do not have the desire to interact with others, go to school, or do any other activity that requires even a minimal effort.
Even though depression can happen to anyone, it’s worth noting that there’s a difference between teenage depression and adult depression. If you would like to know more about this, and, concurrently, uncover different ways you can help your child, then stay tuned because this guide is about to dive deeper into this topic.
Teenagers VS Adults
As concluded in the beginning, you need to distinguish teenage depression and adult depression because there are certain differences after all. That’s because specific symptoms are much more common in younger folks than adults.
For example, teenagers have the tendency to be very angry and exasperated when they are depressed. This is probably one of the first signs you’ll notice when depression hits them. They will often be very grumpy, have anger issues, and may quickly become very hostile and unpleasant when talking to others, for no apparent reason (at first glance, of course).
Another warning sign is that your kid may continuously experience all kinds of physical pain. The most common ones are related to tummy pain and headaches. If you notice this in your child, then, for starters, you should take them to the doctor to see if they are physically okay.
If the doctor gives you the green light, meaning that there are no physical problems, then it’s most likely a sign that your teenager is going through depression. If this problem persists, then it’s time to seek professional help.
So what is the best option in these types of situations? Thankfully, these days, you can run into a variety of different recovery centers that focus on Adolescent Depression and Education and that are designed to help young people who are struggling with this mental health issue. Out there, your kiddo will be provided with holistic and multidimensional approaches that are here to unveil the root cause of depression instead of simply trying to hide or alleviate its symptoms.
Although your child may not initially accept this form of treatment because they think they’ll be surrounded by strangers, what you need to remember is that these places are designed to offer young people the right support and treatment plans that are going to make them feel better relatively fast.
Moreover, these professionals have already dealt with patients with similar issues and know exactly what to do to help them overcome them and focus on their healing journey.
Other Warning Signs That You Should Pay Attention To
Above, a few signs were mentioned, the ones that are most common and “visible”, however, there are a couple more that can oftentimes be seen in teenagers struggling with depression and they include the following:
- Despair and sadness that won’t go away
- Crying all the time
- Poor sense of self
- Showing no interest in interacting and socializing with others, even the ones who are close to them, such as family members and friends
- Problems with eating and sleeping
- Lack of energy and focus
- Suicide attempt or any other form of self-harm
How To Distinguish Moodiness From Real Depression?
If you’ve never dealt with teen depression before, then it may be hard for you to distinguish it from a typical moodiness that’s relatively normal for young people. That’s because, seemingly they both look very similar.
However, if you want to be certain that your teenager isn’t just “going through a phase” and is actually depressed, then you need to take longevity into account. If all (or most) of the previously mentioned symptoms are present for a longer period of time, then it most likely means that they are suffering from this mental health issue.
All of these sudden changes in behavior are never a good thing and are usually a sign that there’s something serious going on with them. Of course, it doesn’t mean that every child will have all of these symptoms.
It all depends on the severity of depression and the personality. Namely, those who are generally shy, quiet, and could be described as introverts will usually distance themselves from others, go through withdrawal, and others.
On the flip side, those who are generally temperamental may display anger, aggression, irritability, etc. If your kid showcases any of these symptoms for a relatively long period of time, then it’s time to do something about it as soon as possible.
Other Ways You Can Help Your Child
Aside from the previously mentioned recovery centers, as a parent, there are certain things that you can do to help your kiddo feel better. For starters, the most important thing that you can do is to carefully listen to them and not judge.
At first, you may feel the urge to lecture them, but that’s definitely not recommended in these instances, because it may only make things worse. What your kid needs right now is somebody who’s going to listen to them and support them, and not criticize them in any way.
Besides that, you should acknowledge whatever they are feeling. Do not try to make them feel as if what they are feeling is somewhat strange or silly, but instead take whatever they say or do seriously.
Bear in mind that every person, particularly someone who is that young, wants to feel understood, especially by the people they love and trust the most.
Depression is no joke and something that every parent should take seriously because when neglected, it can severely take a toll on a person’s life. Therefore, if you want to prevent this from happening, then you must pay attention to everything that was said in today’s guide.
