Do you think your teen could be depressed? Here’s a handy guide on what to do as a parent!
We have all heard the cliche, “teenagers are lazy slobs”; so it is to be expected that they will just want to sleep all day and be super messy right? Well, that’s not entirely true.
Something that they don’t teach in school is that depression can be extremely prevalent in the teenage years. Now don’t get me wrong- there is moodiness associated with transitioning from being a child to a teen and in between- however there are some symptoms that come in much more strong that indicate that your teen is depressed. In order to tell if there’s something you should be concerned about, you need to know what symptoms you should look for. There is a difference in how depression displays itself in teenage-dom versus how it is expressed in adulthood. A teen who is depressed could be extremely irritable and angry. This could be expressed via explosive arguments about things that you view as unimportant.
Leading into this, being extra-sensitive to criticism is a huge issue, especially those who are over-achievers and the “top of the class”. They also will withdraw, but not from all people; just some.This means if they open up to you and you criticize them for being lazy, they may withdraw more. It hurts them, and is a pretty good way to make them begin to resent you. Basically:
These people do still exhibit other symptoms that are also present in adults like hopelessness, frequent crying, the loss of interests and a severe lack of energy (Smith & Segal, 2015).
So let’s get down to the guide. What should you do if you suspect your teenage is depressed?
Do’s:
Try asking them about how they’ve been feeling lately, but don’t pry. It will aggravate them if you try to force them to talk about something even they don’t understand.
Encourage them to go for walks, but don’t force them to exercise. Depression is exhausting and sometimes they just may not be feeling physically up to it.
Praise them for accomplishing something important to them, even if it is only a small feat.
Please do NOT berate them or make them feel guilty for not being up to the standard of their regular performance. Mental illness makes those who suffer with it racked with guilt, and this will only make it worse.
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