Many say that the best stage in life is during the teenage years. Perhaps this is true. But one cannot deny that it is also the stage when your life becomes one big soap opera. You begin to become self-conscious because of changes in puberty. You become part of a groupie and experience the pressure of trying to look good and fit in. You begin to have crushes and believe you are in love. You get genuinely hurt for the silliest reasons such as your crush not liking you back. You begin to have questions about who you really are and what your purpose in this world is. You begin to argue with your parents as you insist on fighting for your right to be independent and decide on certain things. You begin to feel confused. With all the drama involved, it is not so easy to determine if your teenager is just being what a normal teenager should be or if his or her behavior is already an indication of depression.
Do you want to know if your teenager needs help with depression? If you do, then answer the following questions. Have you ever seen your teen sitting in a corner, looking down, with water building up on the corner of his or her eyes? Has your child been restless and easily agitated lately? Is he or she easily angered or irritated these days? Did you notice if his or her eating and sleeping habits changed? Does your teenager always look sad and hopeless? Is he or she still showing enthusiasm in family activities? Is he or she always weary? Did you ever hear him or her say that they are worthless? If your answer to some, if not all, of these questions is yes, then chances are your teen indeed needs help with depression. Be observant about how long these symptoms have been present, how severe they are, and how much your teen has changed from the usual him or her.
If the help with depression they need is not given to them, then their depression could lead to more than just an atmosphere of melancholy. Most depressed teenagers would attempt to cope with their sadness and emotional pain on their own. Most often, this untreated depression leads to substance abuse, reckless behavior, problems at school, sensitivity to criticism, violence, running away, self-injury, addiction to the Internet, eating disorders, and even suicidal attempts.
Because of the very real danger of suicide, you must closely watch your teenager for any indications of suicidal behavior or thinking. Some of the warning signs include making jokes or talking about committing suicide, romanticizing death, saying something like There is no other way out, or Itll be a lot easier if I died, saying goodbye to family members or friends as if for good, getting involved in accidents that result in injury, writing poems or stories about dying, suicide, or death, trying to find ways to hurt or kill themselves such as seeking sharp objects or pills, and giving away valuable possessions. If your teenager is showing some of these signs, then there is almost no doubt that he or she needs help with depression.
The first thing to do is to converse with your teenager in a loving manner. Make him or her realize that you are there to show support. Make your teen open up to you about the phase he or she is going through and make him or her realize that you are always there when you are needed. If your teen does not budge, do not be tough. Instead, be gentle and caring. Once he or she starts to converse with you, just listen. Do not scold or reprimand him or her even if his or her source of depression is unreasonable. Acknowledge the pain your teen feels instead of forcing him to quit depression. Doing so will make him or her realize that you are serious about helping. You should always trust your instincts as well.
Also, contact your doctor to let your teen undergo tests to see if he or she is suffering from a medical condition. If it shows that your teenager does not have any medical condition which could have been the reason for the depressed behavior, then seek help from a psychologist. Neither you nor your teenager are competent enough to either rule out depression or determine it is the cause, so seek professional advice.
Do you want to know if your teenager needs help with depression? If you do, then answer the following questions. Have you ever seen your teen sitting in a corner, looking down, with water building up on the corner of his or her eyes? Has your child been restless and easily agitated lately? Is he or she easily angered or irritated these days? Did you notice if his or her eating and sleeping habits changed? Does your teenager always look sad and hopeless? Is he or she still showing enthusiasm in family activities? Is he or she always weary? Did you ever hear him or her say that they are worthless? If your answer to some, if not all, of these questions is yes, then chances are your teen indeed needs help with depression. Be observant about how long these symptoms have been present, how severe they are, and how much your teen has changed from the usual him or her.
If the help with depression they need is not given to them, then their depression could lead to more than just an atmosphere of melancholy. Most depressed teenagers would attempt to cope with their sadness and emotional pain on their own. Most often, this untreated depression leads to substance abuse, reckless behavior, problems at school, sensitivity to criticism, violence, running away, self-injury, addiction to the Internet, eating disorders, and even suicidal attempts.
Because of the very real danger of suicide, you must closely watch your teenager for any indications of suicidal behavior or thinking. Some of the warning signs include making jokes or talking about committing suicide, romanticizing death, saying something like There is no other way out, or Itll be a lot easier if I died, saying goodbye to family members or friends as if for good, getting involved in accidents that result in injury, writing poems or stories about dying, suicide, or death, trying to find ways to hurt or kill themselves such as seeking sharp objects or pills, and giving away valuable possessions. If your teenager is showing some of these signs, then there is almost no doubt that he or she needs help with depression.
The first thing to do is to converse with your teenager in a loving manner. Make him or her realize that you are there to show support. Make your teen open up to you about the phase he or she is going through and make him or her realize that you are always there when you are needed. If your teen does not budge, do not be tough. Instead, be gentle and caring. Once he or she starts to converse with you, just listen. Do not scold or reprimand him or her even if his or her source of depression is unreasonable. Acknowledge the pain your teen feels instead of forcing him to quit depression. Doing so will make him or her realize that you are serious about helping. You should always trust your instincts as well.
Also, contact your doctor to let your teen undergo tests to see if he or she is suffering from a medical condition. If it shows that your teenager does not have any medical condition which could have been the reason for the depressed behavior, then seek help from a psychologist. Neither you nor your teenager are competent enough to either rule out depression or determine it is the cause, so seek professional advice.
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