Facts Of Teen Depression That Parents Should Know

Sadly, some parents attempt to deny the signs of depression in their teenager. The factors of teen depression are startling, and unless parents begin to educate themselves and quit deny that they exist, teenage suicide will continue to increase. Very rarely does a teenager fail to exhibit signs of depression, but the parents often close their eyes to it or assume it’s just a “phase” or part of growing up. If a depressed teenager begins to have suicidal thoughts, those cannot be ignored or passed off as “just talk.”  

 Signs of Depression

The facts of teen depression exist for everyone to see. Not one parent is immune to the damage that can be caused by teen depression, and every parent must be aware of the signs of teen depression. One of the first signs of teen depression is a previously happy teenager who suddenly withdraws into himself/herself and spends more time alone and less time with friends. We’re not talking about the teenager who has a computer in his/her bedroom and talks on line to other people but the teenager who retreats into the world of the unknown and communicates with very few people. The depressed teenager will sometimes resort to writing dark poetry or unhappy stories as a way of expressing the feelings that are hidden deep inside. It is just not normal teenage behavior to not interact with other teenagers on a regular basis, including trips to the mall, movies, and just hanging out at one another’s homes.

What causes teenagers to become depressed? What are the facts of teen depression that are so important for parents to know? Teenagers have plenty of stress on them already with school, relationships, and the problems of growing from adolescence into adulthood. As a result, they become overwhelmed with trying to please everyone and retreat into themselves.

Sometimes the stress creates the depression and sometimes the depression comes later after the teenager has distanced himself/herself from the problems of the world around him or her. This doesn’t mean that every case of teen depression is related to stress. There are true cases of depression that are caused by a chemical imbalance, so any time there is a case of depression, it is important for the teenager to be diagnosed by a health care professional to determine the underlying cause.

Concluding Remarks

The facts of teen depression tell us that the potential exists for a chemical imbalance but only a health care professional can determine that. Once the cause has been determined, a proper treatment plan can be started so that the teenager can begin to act like the happy teenager he or she once was. Of course, if drug therapy is used, it is important for the parents to understand that some of the drugs can cause an adverse reaction in some people, so they need to be aware of signs that the teenager is exhibiting suicidal tendencies so that the physician or psychiatrist can be alerted and a new treatment plan begun.

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