Teen Depression And What To Look For

Adults are not the only people who can be suffering from depression. There have been many cases where teens have become depressed and not just because they don’t have a date for Friday night. Teen depression is becoming serious concern for family, peers and friends. There are plenty of teenagers out there who have had great childhoods, married parents, and great friends and have always done well in school. Then on the other hand there are kids whose parents are divorced, don’t get good grades, perhaps they are overweight and don’t feel very popular in school.

You can chalk it up to being a teenager but in some instances it could be something more. There are some recognizable signs and symptoms of teen depressions that you should read about and maybe if you know someone like a friend or your own child you can help them before it is too late. Here are some of those warning signs.

Number 1: Does anyone you know suffer from sadness or hopelessness? This is more recognizable that you may thing. These teens tend to spend time alone and want to seclude themselves from other. They may also exhibit signs of frequent crying or tearing up for what seems to be no physical reason.

Number 2: Do they have a quick temper or act irritable or hostile for something that they shouldn’t. This could be a sign of depression, don’t mistake anger for feelings. Just because someone is mad doesn’t mean that they aren’t having some internal issues.

Number 3: Have you notice a change in eating habits or weight loss. It is common for depression to take its toll on your appetite. You don’t eat as much and you notice that you have lost some weight without technically dieting.

Number 4: Does anyone you know always want to sleep or have they lost their interest in things they used to like. If you know someone who loved playing football and was on the team and did real well and all of a sudden they quit the team without a good reason, this could be a sign.

Number 5: Have you noticed a decline in their schoolwork or loss of concentration in school? Students who start out doing well or have been known to be good students often start to barely do their homework, they don’t study for tests and their once good grades start to fall.






These are just some of the symptoms and signs of teenage depression. To learn more there is a website called helpguide.org. If know or suspect someone has these symptoms it is important to talk to their parents right away and get them help before they decide that it is too late. Don’t be afraid of them getting mad at you, what matters is that they get the help that they need. You will be a better friend for getting them help than for not doing anything and leaving them unnoticed.