Teen depression can be hard on not just the individual it’s happening to, but also the people around them. Depression can affect anyone, but studies show that adolescent girls and assigned female at birth are twice as likely to develop teen depression than adolescent boys, which many researchers think is due to societal pressures.
Signs your child is depressed
Teen depression can be scary, overwhelming and hard to diagnose. It’s important to pay attention to the various signs of teen depression in order to seek out treatment as soon as possible.
From Mayo Clinic, a few signs your child might be depressed include:
- Crying for no apparent reason
- Frustration over small issues
- Lack of interest in normally enjoyed activities
- Exaggerated self-blame
- Frequent thoughts of suicide
- Insomnia/disruptions in sleep
- Risky behavior
- Self-harm
- Change in appetite
Tips to help your child with teen depression
- Pay attention: Make sure you’re taking an interest in your child’s life and what they’re doing. Life can get overwhelming and sometimes it becomes easy to ignore the signs of teen depression.
- Talk and listen: Sit down and let your child know you’re there to listen without judgement and help if need be. Saying out loud that you’re there to support their can go a long way.
- Be persistent, but not pushy: If your teen ignores or rejects the first time you try to let them know you’re there for them, try again later. It may take a few times, but be patient, it takes a lot for a teenager to talk about how they’re feeling.
Getting help
If your child is struggling with depression and regular therapies aren’t effective, Solstice RTC might be the right fit. At Solstice RTC, we help girls and assigned female at birth ages 14 to 17, that have difficulty with issues such as trauma, anxiety, depression and many others. Through comprehensive, research-based therapies, we treat each individual with the utmost care.
For more information about how Solstice RTC treats teen depression, call us today at (866) 278-3345.
