In our daily lives, there are days when we feel down. Statistics show that a lot of people these days suffer from depression and are running to therapists. But the problem gets more difficult if the depression is among teenagers. Due to their age and puberty, they are more emotionally vulnerable and susceptible to dangerous, rash decisions. Besides, it might be days or weeks that their sadness will remain constant. Depression is considered a serious illness and can get dangerous in teenagers.
If the teenager has surrendered and stayed in bed with depression, this can hamper their regular lifestyle like sleeping, eating, work, and many other activities. But parents must know that depression isn’t merely sadness, but can become a severe mental disorder. So, it must be treated immediately in the most convenient and effective method possible. As mentioned before, it isn’t easy for teenagers to make them recover from the situation. They need to be handled with care, otherwise, it may have a greater effect on them.
Things to Monitor
When a parent or anyone suspects that a teenager in the house is suffering from depression, they need to consider some aspects to confirm their doubts. In addition, they should note down the symptoms and activities to find the right remedies to improve their situation.
- Monitor how long the changes in behavior and emotions like sadness, anxiety, anger, are continuing.
- Now check how aggressive their feelings are, and whether these feelings come and go, or are constant.
- See whether their emotions are causing problems with schoolwork, health, work, or other activities.
- Notice if they have troubles in concentrating and solving problems, making any decisions, or seem to forget information.
- Give attention to any of their negative thoughts that are intense.
- Check if they are crying more, moody, having outbursts, irritable, not interested in anything, or simply numb.
- See if they are highly demotivated and start blaming themselves for anything, feel worthless or guilty always, or consider suicide.
- Pay attention to any out-of-character action, or if they have stopped contacting anyone and remain isolated in the room.
- Lastly, keep an eye on their physical health like lack of energy, less eating, headaches or other pains, and other health issues.
Difference between Sadness and Depression
Sometimes people shrug off the teenager’s emotions as mere sadness over any issues. But sadness and depression are very different. It is important to know this to ensure that the teenager isn’t suffering from any serious health issues.
| Sadness | Depression |
| Upset over any matter | Constant feeling of sadness |
| May only cause crying or silence | Comes with different negative emotions |
| Fades over time and is temporary | Long-lasting with other changes in usual behavior |
| Doesn’t cause any problems to physical health | Affects greatly the physical health and regular activities |
Get Started with the Healing Process
Severe depression can have a long-term effect, so if any of these changes are pursued in the teenager, talk to a therapist or other experts to cure the problem as soon as possible. Remember that such a condition isn’t difficult to treat, and there are different ways in which teenagers’ lives can go back to normal. Sometimes, any school problems or adjustment issues can also cause an underlying mental depression.
- Get started with talking with the teenager in a calm tone. Prepare yourself to initiate the conversation such that the kid will respond. You must be supportive of anything they say and maintain a positive vibe.
- If you find out that they aren’t spilling their inner thoughts, instead feel suicidal or wants to hurt themselves, then it is time to seek a doctor’s help. Call the emergency section to take them to a psychiatrist. But they must not understand anything about it.
- The parents can either make an appointment with the health professional to talk about the problem or convince their teenager tactfully to go to them. This can also have a positive effect since they will understand that they aren’t alone.
- But first, you can start with something small, like taking them to a school counselor, before heading directly to mental health care. Perhaps, talking to the right person and place is all that is needed.
- At home, you can gift them with a diary to write down their feelings. Before getting a counselor, you can also think of a favorite person with whom the teenager will open up. Even if you can’t help them, show them affection and support always.
Taking Care of Physical Health
Apart from seeking mental health treatment for teenagers, take good care of their physical health as well. This is because when they are depressed, it harms their health a lot. So, if they can maintain their health, they can feel much better mentally.
- Prepare their favorite foods and encourage them to eat. But ensure that their diet contains healthy foods and is nutritious. Eat together in every meal as a family.
- In addition, make them get some regular exercises, or physical games to get them active. This can include a simple walk with their pets.
- Help them to sleep at night with the most effective ways to relax. Maintain their screen time with smart devices.
- It is better to avoid any medicines to help with depression as it will have other side effects and is a synthetic and temporary method of healing.
- Lastly, provide them with a calm and happy home environment to lighten the mood. Maintain a good relationship with them and the whole family.
Recovery Process
Finally, you will see that the teenager will start to overcome their depression. Although the depression may take time to recover, you need the patience to help them. Support them always and keep an eye to avoid them getting depressed again. They need to understand that in any conflicts, or problems, they will have someone to support them. Keep an eye on them without them knowing to check for any warning signs in the future. At this age, mood swings are quite common, so the parents need to patiently handle them without reacting rudely with them.
