Teenage Depression - Learn About the Symptoms and Reasons

Teenage depression and anxiety are not just about bad moods and occasional melancholy. They are serious problems which have become common nowadays. There could be several factors at home or at school that lead to teenage depression. Academic difficulties, peer pressure, abusive relationships with parents and family etc. are some common teenage problems. In severe cases, the situation might get worse leading to drug abuse or even an irreversible tragedy such as homicidal violence or suicide. Parents of teenagers should be aware to look out for emotional behaviors that could be related to a mental health issue.

Being a concerned parent, teacher or friend, there are many things you can do to help the depressed child. You can simply start by learning the symptoms of depression and anxiety so that you are in a position to gauge your child's behavior. If you are close enough to your child you should try to talk to your teenager about his/her problem and offer support so that the child does not feel lonely and helpless. In order to detect signs and symptoms of this mental illness in your adolescent, it is important to keep tabs on the general behavior of your child and the symptoms related to the disease. You can do some research and try to find out about all the major symptoms a teenager may have to face when going through a phase of adolescent depression.

The following is the list of some of the symptoms depressed teenagers experience when suffering from depression:

• Restlessness; Loss of interest in enjoyable activities
• Feelings of guilt; feelings of worthlessness
• Sadness, hopelessness; frequent crying
• Irritability; Anger
• Hostility; Agitation
• Withdrawal from friends and family; efforts to run away from home
• Sudden changes in eating habits and sleep
• The fatigue, lack of energy; difficulty concentrating, persistent boredom
• Thoughts of death; thoughts of suicide
• Self injury; self-destructive behavior; frequent fear
• Poor communication; difficulty in maintaining relationships; criticizing others
• Low self-esteem; extremely self-critical; Extreme sensitivity to failure
• Frequent absence from school; Poor performance at school
• Alcohol or Drugs

Although the problem is intense, it can be healed with lots of love and the right treatment. Medical researchers have stated that early diagnosis and treatment helps in curing this mental disorder more effectively. For community support you can inspire your child to participate in a depression online community that helps people to connect. Besides providing the much required Depression help, Depression Support Groups also offers a unique platform where like-minded people can come together to discuss their issues.