10 common symptoms of adolescents with depression
The stage of adolescence involves an infinity of changes, both physically and emotionally, and also in the aspect of interpersonal relationships.
It is a key stage when it comes to shaping our way of being and focusing on adulthood. Hormonal changes and some social situations can cause the adolescent to be more susceptible and irritable, and it is a stage in which mood disorders can arise and become evident . One of every five young people suffers at some time of this stage some depressive picture. The teenagers with depression it can be isolated and present a symptomatology of continuous discouragement.
If this behavior is maintained for at least six months, it could be a sign that the youth is suffering from some form of depression.
What are the symptoms of depression among young adolescents?
Several international institutions such as the WHO wave American Psychiatric Association have developed a series of guides that define and describe the various symptoms and signs that warn us that a teenager may be suffering from depression .
Depression in this life stage is the third cause of suicide. Therefore, we must be aware of this reality in order to be able to act to minimize this problem.
Then We list the most common symptoms that can indicate that a teenager may be having a bad time :
1. Sleep disorders
When the adolescent severely changes his habits associated with the hours of sleep, something may be happening. In some cases, it may be one of the first physical signs of depression . When the young person sleeps a few or too many hours, the underlying disorder could be depression. In any case, the existence of a symptom does not mean that the person suffers from depression, but it is a warning signal.
More information on this point: "Sleep disorders: everything you need to know"2. Abulia: loss of interest
When a teenager who previously had fun and had hobbies and activities that he was passionate about loses interest in those things, we should start worrying. We can observe how the young person will be elusive and boring, and will prefer to spend a lot of time without the company of friends or relatives .
3. Changes in eating behavior
It is often said that extremes are never good. Well, this case is a clear example of this. When someone completely loses the desire to eat, or on the contrary eats excessively, something goes wrong . Eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa, can be closely linked to depression.
4. Anger and sobs for no apparent reason
Samples of spontaneous anger and sadness are quite common among patients suffering from depressive symptoms. When we talk about teenagers, attacks of anger or crying may appear without a cause or observable reason . If this situation becomes frequent, we should think about seeking help.
5. Progressive abandonment of their friendships
A noticable aspect among adolescents with depression is that they gradually move away from their friends, showing little interest in socializing and preferring to isolate themselves from contact with other people .
6. Poor ability to concentrate and lower academic performance
The young man who is going through a stage of low mood usually has a low ability to concentrate , in addition to several problems when it comes to memorizing things and making decisions. These factors, together with a lower motivation for studies, tend to result in poorer school results.
7. Low self-esteem and a negative self-concept
Low self-esteem is a very common trait among young people in general, but when it becomes persistent it can end up generating derogatory comments towards itself and it can be a sign of depression . An excessive feeling of guilt, exaggerated criticism and emotional dependence on other people should also make us notice that something is happening.
More on this question: "Why do I hate myself? Causes and solutions"8. Aggressive behaviors and flirting with illegal substances
In case the adolescent begins to be involved frequently in fights or brawls, to "bullying" to one of his companions or to frequent bad companies, he could be suffering from some serious problem in the background. Further, risky sexual behaviors or flirting with alcohol or other drugs would be factors to consider .
9. Flight and other calls for attention
Escaping the family home is one of the possible signs of depression. Sometimes, It can be a defense mechanism for the adolescent, who seeks to attract the attention of parents .
10Thoughts and suicidal ideas
This is an unequivocal sign that the adolescent is suffering from a serious mental health problem. This type of recurrent thoughts about death have their verbalization with phrases like "I do not want to continue living" . In more advanced cases, the adolescent may self-harm or attempt suicide.
Five tips to treat depression
Now that we know the different signs that we can observe in a teenager with this disorder, we will explain how we should act (as parents, friends or family) in case some young person in our immediate environment may suffer from depression .
1. Talk with him / her
The first step we can take to find out why the teenager is behaving strangely is talk with him to try to know the causes . In fact, there are symptoms that may occur but that may not involve a background disorder.
In any case, it is important to talk with the adolescent to know if he is aware that his behavior has changed and reach out to him if he asks for help. If suicidal ideations are evident, it is a good idea that we do not address this issue as taboo. The family, in these types of cases, can play an essential role when it comes to joining together to help the adolescent feel better .
2. Go to the doctor
We should not be afraid to go to the family doctor. If the symptoms shown by the adolescent are increasingly worrisome and complicated to manage, we should go to a specialist in this type of case, for example a psychotherapist. The mental health professional can offer a reliable diagnosis on each case and develop a treatment if necessary , in addition to guiding parents to manage the situation.
3. Psychological therapy better than drugs
We live in a society that tends to cure everything with drugs. Sometimes medication treatment is necessary, and in the case of depressive disorders there are antidepressant drugs that can be very helpful .
Anyway, l or ideal is that young people learn to manage their emotions and channel their motivation properly , and that can not be achieved by a pill. In cases of mild depression (for example in dysthymia pictures), pharmacological treatment is not necessary. The truly curative is to find a way to express feelings and emotions, and this is easier to achieve with the therapeutic support of doctors and psychologists.
Educational psychologists can also be very useful when detecting and treating this type of case. They can help decisively to make the adolescent aware that their situation can and should change. In addition, son professionals with the capacity to adapt the teaching environment as much as possible to the needs of a student with this disorder .
4. Change habits and routines
Adolescents who suffer from depression they usually have very disturbed sleep schedules and are apathetic to routine activities . For this reason it is advisable to help them develop a well-planned schedule, not very strict but ambitious, in which for example we set a time to go to bed and several activities that the young person feels motivated to do daily.
Being able to share time and space with people who support you can mean a dose of positivity.
5. Playing sports, the oldest therapy
Practicing physical exercise is very positive for anyone, but especially for a young man with depression . Finding an activity that suits the characteristics and needs of the young person can be a fantastic way to channel stress and anxiety, besides a source of good feelings to minimize your negative emotions .
If this activity is done in groups and in the open air, the positive effects can be even better.
You can check it by reading this article: "The 10 psychological benefits of practicing physical exercise"
