How To Prevent Depression In Teens


by Steven Ross - Date: 2007-11-17 - Word Count: 446 Share This!

This article will deal with the very serious subject of depression in teens. The fact is that each year 4% of all teenagers suffer from a serious depression which will require help from a professional.

There is a difference between sadness and depression, because sadness itself is a healthy feeling, but prolonged sadness without recovery is not, and will cause of depression. Depressed teens have more trouble with school work, more strained relationships with family and friends, and are more likely to participate in drug usage and unprotected sex.

The proper resources are available, however, to treat depression in teens. But depression in teens in the United States goes untreated, in most cases. It's harder to reverse depression the longer it goes untreated, and the longer it goes untreated the longer it lasts.

Bipolar disorder and reactive depression are the two most common forms of depression in teens. Reactive disorder deals with prolonged states of sadness and feelings of unworthiness in teens. Bipolar disorder, once referred to as manic depression, is a depression where the teenager goes through extreme moods of mania and sadness, usually in a short period time.

The evaluation of depression in teens can be made when you observe a certain number of different symptoms. Prolonged sadness, and no feeling of relief from crying are the two most important signs of depression in teens.

Another sign is unnecessarily feeling guilty and having low self-esteem. Finally, other indicators you should consider are indecisiveness, they pessimistic view of life, sleep patterns that are irregular, an intense irritability, and so forth.

The first step a teenager needs to take if they feel depressed is to communicate with somebody they trust can help them. There are many different options for it teenager to discuss their problems with, such as their parents, their family doctor, somebody they trust in their church, and school counselor, or professional psychologists.

Depression in teens is typically treated with psychotherapy and/or medication. Typical psychotherapy sessions for depression in teens revolve around talking about how they feel with a trained psychotherapist, and trying to understand the root cause of the depression. Most often, depression is caused by a faulty understanding of reality, which can be easily corrected under the proper guidance of a professional.

When it is needed, as in more severe cases of depression in teens, medication will be considered an option. Medication might in fact be the first step, before progress can be made.

To sum it up, consider the facts I've offered in this article as they relate to depression in teens. This information can be used for you to help determine the best course of action, and to make sure your teen is not suffering unnecessarily because of depression.

Related Tags: health, depression, anxiety, parents, parenting, mental health, self-improvement, teens

Author Steven Ross is a long-time Positive Mental Health enthusiast and can help you with all your depression needs. For Positive Mental Health advice visit his new site at DepressionandAnxietyReport.com

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