Parenting Resources - Health and Wellness

Parenting Advice for Troubled Teens- Dealing with Teenage Depression

For some parents, depression in a troubled teenager may go by unnoticed for months at a time before one or both of the parents realize that their son or daughter has some serious emotional issues. Of course, in most cases this is not what we are vying for.

If depression can become detected earlier on in a teenager it may benefit his or her treatment greatly. A problem with a disorder such as depression, despite its prevalence as a mental disorder common to teenagers, is that it is highly unlikely for a teen to approach a parent or guardian about an issue of its nature. Normally, feelings that are experienced in depression are kept to one’s self by the teenager.

All the more does this make it even harder to detect the disorder in a teen. If your teen isn’t talking or opening up to you, there still may be a way to detect possible depression. If you don’t seem to have clear access to his or her feelings then what you do have access to is his or her presence. If you notice that your teen is isolating him or herself then this may be a symptom of the disorder. It’s very little to go on but at least it may give you a clue.

Once you have figured out that your teen is struggling with depression then give yourself a pat on the back. Knowing is half the battle. First of all it is important to make sure that your teenager is not suicidal. It is crucial to initially address this because of the rate of suicide in depressed patients. If your teenager is not suicidal, you may go on to address his or her depression itself. Isolation is a number one enemy of a parent with a depressed teen.

When your teen is alone, he or she can become enveloped by strong feelings of negativity very easily. And of course this is not what you want in order to combat your child’s depression. Try and get your teen out of his or her room and away from loneliness.

Setting up activities for him or her that he or she may have enjoyed greatly in the past may help him or her re-focus on something else rather than his or her depression. If your teen lost interest in many activities or hobbies that used to bring a smile to his or her face, then trying to spark a positive reaction in them once more couldn’t hurt. Keep your teen company and even try and join an activity with him or her.