Disease Symptom Tips :: Signs of Teenage Depression
Signs of Teenage Depression: Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Teenage Depression
The signs of teenage depression can often be mistaken for the typical mood swings and ups and downs often associated with simply being a teenager.
So, what's considered normal? Is a teenager that's on top of the world in one moment and then suffering from unexplained sadness the next normal or truly depressed?
If you're a parent of a child between the ages of 10 and 18, asking yourself that very question is critical. Depression can affect one in five teenagers before their 18th birthday. Unfortunately, the disease often goes undiagnosed because it's believed to be a normal part of life.
Recognizing the Signs of Teenage Depression
While it's easy to dismiss the numerous symptoms of teenage depression as simply a phase of growing up, the problem can be compounded by teenagers refusing to admit they're depressed.
One of the major signals of teenage depression is fatigue and a lack of mental ability, such as the ability to concentrate on a task. The depressed teenager may also be irritable, possibly aggressive and excessively anxious. Parents may be privy to outbursts that include crying, shouting, screaming, complaining or threatening to run away.
Often, the depression can manifest itself in physical symptoms like chronic pain, stress headaches, fatigue or digestive problems.
There are also the classic signs of depression like an obvious change in eating habits, an increase or decrease in body weight, change in sleeping patterns, consistently poor mood, feeling worthless, withdrawal from social activities and even thoughts or talk of suicide.
If more than four of the symptoms listed above continue for more than two weeks, parents are advised to seek professional treatment. Of course, if the teenager threatens suicide, then treatment should be sought immediately, regardless of the presence of other symptoms.
Causes and Effects of Teenage Depression
Typically, teenage depression is often brought on by external stress factors in their lives such as divorce, family financial problems, experiencing tragedy, sexual or physical abuse, dealing with drug or alcohol addiction either with themselves or a family member and other high-stress situations.
Other teenagers see depression as a result of being unable to reach particular goals, whether these are social goals, academic goals, athletic goals or body goals.
For example, if a teenager has trouble making friends or is rejected by their peers, this can often cause depression. If depression runs in the family, the teenager may be genetically disposed to the condition.
As for the effects of teenage depression, it can drastically affect a teenager's family life, social life and academic life. Previous studies have shown that teenagers suffering from depression have higher levels of absenteeism, poorer grades and are more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol.
Of course, the most severe consequence of teenage depression is suicide, which is why it's critical to recognize the early signs of teenage depression.
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