Unfortunately, depression often goes undetected in teenagers. Parents sometimes don’t identify the symptoms because depression in teenagers looks quite different than depression in adults. As a result, many teens unnecessarily suffer in silence.
There are four types of depression that normally affect teenagers. Depression can affect all teens regardless of their gender, popularity, academic success, or athletic abilities. It’s essential to familiarize yourself with the ordinary symptoms of depression in teens.
While depressed adults often talk about emotional pain, depressed teens tend to report physical aches and pains. They may report headaches, stomach problems or say they just don’t feel well. Physical exams however, won’t reveal any findings.
Irritability
Adults generally describe feeling sad when they’re depressed, but teenagers often become increasingly irritable. They may behave disrespectfully or may have less patience than usual. They also may become defiant. While mood swings can be usual during the teenage years, an unusually high amount of irritability should be considered a warning sign of possible depression.
Teens may experience a sharp decline in their grades when depression strikes. But, that’s not always the case. Some teens maintain a high-grade point average even in the midst of emotional turmoil.
In fact, sometimes the pressure to maintain good grades becomes a factor in depression. A teen who feels the require to get accepted into an Ivy League college, or one insists a disappointing SAT score could ruin her life, may remain driven to achieve despite being depressed.
Sensitivity to Criticism
Depression can lead to an intense sensitivity to criticism. Sometimes teens deal with this enlarged sensitivity by avoiding activities where they fear failure. A teen may refuse to try out for the soccer team or may refuse to invite a date to dance in an attempt to avoid rejection.
At other times, teens may deal with this fear by becoming an overachiever. A depressed teen may become a perfectionist in an attempt to avoid the risk of being rejected. It’s significant to monitor how your teen responds to risk, criticism and failure as changes in your teen’s behavior could signal your teen is depressed.
Social isolation is a ordinary problem for everyone with depression, but teens don’t necessarily withdraw from everyone when they become depressed. Sometimes they simply change peer groups. A teen may begin to hang out with the wrong crowd or may stop talking to certain friends or family members.
At other times, teens withdraw from real-life activities and focus their attention on the online world when they’re feeling depressed. A depressed teen may generate an online persona and may engage in online chats or play role playing games for hours on end to escape the realities of life.
Seek Help for a Depressed Teen
If you think you’re teen may be depressed, seek professional help. Schedule an appointment with your teen’s pediatrician or reach out to a mental health professional. Treatment for adolescent depression may contain therapy, medication or a combination of the two. It’s essential to be involved in your teen’s treatment.