WARNING: Text may contain sensitive content

As a parent, it’s important to recognize the signs of Depression in your teen. This can be difficult since we generally associate teen years with angst, mood swings, temper tantrums, and risky or impulsive behavior. However, Depression can have serious consequences if left untreated, so it’s essential to pay attention and take action when you see these warning signs.

Common signs of Depression in teens include changes in behavior, such as isolation from friends and family, withdrawal from activities or interests they once enjoyed, difficulty concentrating or completing tasks at school, and increased irritability. Physical symptoms may also manifest, such as fatigue or low energy levels, sleeping too much or too little, loss of appetite, headaches, stomachaches, or other aches and pains with no apparent cause. Teens may also express feelings of sadness or numbness that seem disproportionate for the situation. They may also make self deprecating comments about themselves or more explicit comments about wanting to die, to not wake up, or to just have everything come to an end.

Physical symptoms may also manifest, such as fatigue or low energy levels, sleeping too much or too little, loss of appetite, headaches, stomachaches, or other aches and pains with no apparent cause.

Often, teens report that they started experiencing Depression symptoms in middle school, yet were unsure about how to describe what they were feeling and/or whether it was important enough to share with a parent. Depression most often does not improve on its own without treatment, so it is important to start having those conversations as early as possible.

If you believe your teen is suffering from Depression there are steps you can take right away, including talking openly with them about how they have been feeling, learning more about local mental health resources, and connecting them with a therapist who specializes in working with teens, such as those you will find at Sage & Anchor. Additionally, it can be helpful to encourage healthy habits like exercise, stress management, and self care. Above all else, make sure your teen knows that they are not alone; that regardless of what is going on you can figure it out together, even if that means seeking some professional support.