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« Teenage girls and boyfriends … | Home | Do something FUN with your teenager »

Signs & Symptoms of Teen Depression

By Aurelia | June 22, 2006

Hi there Moms!

It is very important that we watch our teens for any signs and/or symptoms of depression. Teen depression isn’t the occasional melancholy or sadness that we may view our teens to go through from time to time. Teen Depression is melancholy, sadness or a mood of despair that lingers for a long time and limits the teen’s ability to function normally.

Below is a list of some of the common symptoms of teenage depression (Depression may be indicated if an adolescent experiences an unusual degree of the following symptoms):

  • changes in eating and sleeping habits (eating and sleeping too much or too little)
  • significant weight gain or loss
  • missed school, poor school performance and/or a sudden decline in grades
  • withdrawal from friends and family
  • no longer enjoying activities that were once pleasurable
  • indecision, lack of concentration, or forgetfulness
  • feelings of worthlessness or guilt
  • overreaction to criticism, irritability
  • frequent health complaints when no physical ailment exists
  • anger, rage, anxiety
  • drug/alcohol abuse, thoughts of death or suicide

    Be sure to keep the lines of communication open between you and your teen and if you notice that you teen is exhibiting a large amount of any of the above symptoms please talk to your teen or consult your child’s physician.

    Here’s to our teens good health!
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    2 Responses to “Signs & Symptoms of Teen Depression”

    1. Sara Thierer Says:
      August 10th, 2006 at 12:46 am

      I just wanted to comment that I suffer from clinical depression, my older sister does and so did my mother. I’m also an RN. Thankfully, those two factors may be the reason when my 12 year old daughter’s personality changed and she lost interest in her two passions, dance and soccer, I didn’t just pass it off as hormones. She’s is now 21 and is still being treated for clinical depression. It’s so easy to pass off the warning signs as “growing pains”, and thankfully that’s what it usually is. The problem is adolescents and teens don’t have that ability to look back as we do and realize time really does heal all wounds; they live in the present, and they see everything as black and white–no gray areas. Peer acceptance is so important to them and feeling different can devastate your teen. Realize it could very well be normal behavior, but keep a watchful eye out. More than any other time in their lives, I think, teens need a soft place to land when they fall.

    2. Aurelia Says:
      August 11th, 2006 at 12:17 pm

      What a wonderful personal post there. Thanks for sharing that and I think you are right.

      I would love to have you on my radio show one day to talk about this issues! What do you think?
      Aurelia

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