When a teen is depressed, it can be difficult for them to recovery without professional assistance. Unfortunately, many parents either miss the signs of depression in their children or just dismiss it as being normal teen behavior. The signs in this list are meant to help parents identify depression in their teen so they can avoid the potentially catastrophic consequences of failing to get help.
1 - Anxiety
Those going through depression will often have difficulty managing their stress and anxiety in a healthy way. If you notice that your teen is struggling to control their anxiety, then it is possible that depression may be to blame.
2 - Frequent headaches
Because anxiety management is difficult for those with depression, their stress level will often become incredibly high. A noticeable side effect of this high stress level is frequent and severe headaches. You should pay attention if your teen starts having frequent headaches for no apparent reason.
3 - Withdrawing from normal activities
Teens who are depressed will often start to drop extra-curricular activities they previously enjoyed. If you're teen starts quitting activities like sports teams or clubs, then you should seriously question why they seem to have lost interest all of the sudden.
4 - Anger or irritability
This symptom also ties into anxiety and stress levels. As these build in a depressed teen, they will often start to lash out at those around them. If your previously happy teen is having angry outbursts, it is important to question why.
5 - Difficulty in school
Teens who are struggling with depression will also often have troubled concentrating. This can seriously impact an individual's school performance. If your teen is depressed, you will probably notice a sharp drop in their grades.
6 - Extreme fatigue
Depression has a huge impact on a person's energy level. If your teen is depressed, they will probably sleep much more than usual but still complain about having very little energy. Exercise can combat this symptom, but those experiencing fatigue from depression often difficulty forcing themselves to do this.
7 - Poor eating habits
Teens struggling with depression will often have their diets change signficantly. Some will seek out comfort food and begin eating unhealthy food much more frequently. Others will completely lose their appetite and lose weight very quickly. Either way, large fluctuations in weight should be a clear warning sign for parents.
8 - Trouble with sleep habits
Those dealing with depression will often have a variety of sleep issues. For some, this means being constantly tired and sleeping for much of the day. Others will have trouble sleeping soundly no matter how long they stay in bed. Keep a close eye on your son or daughter's sleep patterns.
9 - Lack of interest in spending time with friends
When a teen is seriously depressed, they will lose interest in almost everything. If you have a teen who previously spent a great deal of time with their friends and now never spends any time with them, you should start a conversation about why this is. If they don't have a reason other than simply no longer being interested in friends, then it is likely they are depressed.
