Tips For Parents To Help A Teenager With Depression

By Nicole Cowart

Every parent wishes their children the best and provides them with everything they need on a daily basis. However, sometimes, being busy with a career and earning money for daily living expenses, can leave parents with less time to spend with their children. As a result, they do not notice that their kids suffer from depression symptoms. It is good if you have noticed it on time, but what about parenting a depressed teenager whose depression lasts for a while? Is helping a child with depression an easy task and can you cope with it yourself, without expert help? Here you can find a list of tips that can help parents deal with the mental health of their kids.

Dealing with a Depressed Child

What is a teen depression and is this a serious problem? Depression in kids is not only connected with teenage mood. This is a much deeper problem which influences all the aspects of her/his life greatly. It can lead to such consequences as problems at home and school, drug addiction, self-abhorrence or even be a cause of suicide. However, there are many tips that can help parents and friends cope with this serious problem.

• Reveal the problem on its early stage

There are numerous misunderstandings on what a teen desolation de facto is. On early stage of development, many kids can be quite aggressive, are difficult to communicate with, and try to be rebels and search for independence. They also suffer from fast mood changes and can be sad regularly. However, that does not mean that they have such a problem as depression. Desolation destroys the child’s individuality and leads to such consequences as sadness, disparity or anger. It is very important for parents to take part in a child’s life, no matter how independent he/she is to find the initial symptoms of this disease in its early stage.

• Give a hand to your child

Statistics say that the number of cases of teen depression all over the world rises each year. This disease strikes the mental health of teens more often than we think. And, despite the fact that teenage depression can be cured, experts say that only in 1 out of 5 cases, teenagers get an adequate level of help. Unlike the adults, who can ask for help from specialists themselves, children can only rely on teachers and parents who can notice this condition and help to overcome it. That is why it is important for parents to know its symptoms and be aware of what to do if you find them in your kid’s behavior.

• Be aware of the symptoms

An average teenager faces different cases of pressures from the adult side, starting from school grades to parent control at home. In this case, we can say that their hormones are totally out of whack and they usually start defending their independence. They can sometimes exaggerate the situation and treat it as a drama, while adults will only smile. That is why adults who are used to seeing teens in this state sometimes cannot differentiate this from real depression.

Here are the symptoms that are the signs of depression:

1. Sadness or hopelessness for a long period of time
2. Impatience, anger, and hostility
3. Crying
4. Refusal of friends and family
5. Losing interest in any activity
6. Bad appetite and sleep
7. Insecurity and excitement
8. Lack of enthusiasm and motivation
9. Fatigue and lack of energy
10. Thoughts about suicide and death

• If you can’t cope with it yourself, get an expert to help

If you are not sure that your kid has symptoms of depression, then the best option is to ask for expert help from a psychologist. There are several options on how to deal with teenage desolation condition. The first one is individual or group therapy. However, there is also an option of family therapy. You should understand that drugs, in this case, must be prescribed only if there is no other variant and they are a part of complex therapy, but not a panacea. Any type of psychological therapy for treating depression can help when dealing with it in an early stage. On the contrary, antidepressants should be included in the treatment course only when the situation is difficult. Unfortunately, many parents think that taking pills is the only way to fight this problem. However, they are wrong; there is an individual approach to every case.

• Listen to your kid

You should listen to your kid without judgment. A teen always resists the attempts of the adults to criticize and judge once he/she starts speaking. The fact that your kid communicates with you is already a success. However, you should avoid giving an unwanted piece of advice and making an ultimatum.  Do not even try to tell a teen that oppression is silly, even if you really think it is. Just understand the troubles they face and they will understand that you treat them seriously as adults.

Teenage depression is a common disease today. Some parents underestimate its power or simply do not notice its symptoms. However, it can lead to very serious consequences. That is why it is very important to diagnose it in its early stage and take appropriate measures on time. Ignoring this disease can change a child’s destiny and will lead to many bad consequences in the future.

About the author:

Nicole Cowart is a prolific writer who works for https://customwriting.com/. She is a mother of two sons, and she knows exactly what teen depression is from her own experience. However, she always tries to find a positive side of whatever happens. Amidst her hobbies are psychology, traveling and reading.

Edited by Jody Marmel.