All About Teen Depression
When it comes to those terrible and terrific teenage years, there is no doubt that a lot of parents struggle to understand just exactly what their teen is going through. Even though parents were once a teenager themselves, it can be hard to remember exactly what it was like and the emotions you felt. This is not to mention that teens today face problems and challenges that their parents never had to deal with. Understanding about teen depression is the best way to try to understand your teenager and be able to tell whether or not they are just having a bad week at school or if they are actually suffering from teen depression.
When parents take the time to learn about teen depression, they are making sure that they can help their teenager if the need ever comes about. Even if your teenager seems perfectly fine now and has never given you any reason to be concerned, learning about teen depression will just make you prepared in case something changes. It is better to already have the knowledge then to wait until they start having problems and things get out of control. The more you know, the quicker you can act and the quicker the teenager can get back on track.
What To Look For
While the exact causes of teen depression can vary, the most important thing for the parent to know is what the symptoms are so that they can get their child help fast. If there was a traumatic event, such as a divorce or something to that nature, that caused the depression to come about, the doctor will be able to figure it out and address that issue. The main importance is for the parents to know enough about teen depression that they can recognize the signs of it in their own child so help can be sought out.
If you one day notice that your teenager went from caring about their clothes and their hair to suddenly not caring if they even bathed once over a period of a week, you may have something wrong. Studies about teen depression show that teens that are depressed may also show problems with their sleep patterns. Some teens will over sleep and some will not sleep at all. The same with eating habits and hygiene habits when it comes to depression. If you start to notice drastic changes in your teenager's behavior, make sure you get him or her to a doctor right away, if even they claim that they feel okay.
