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Depression can affect people of any age, race, ethnic or economic group. There are two kinds of depressive illness: the sad kind, called major depression, and manic-depression or bipolar disorder, when feeling down and depressed alternates with being hyped-up and sometimes reckless.
You need to have your teen evaluated by a professional if they have several of the following symptoms for more than 2 weeks or if any of these symptoms cause such a big change that your teen can't keep up their usual routine:
- Feels sad or cries a lot and it doesn't go away.
- Feels guilty for no reason; feels like they're no good; lost their confidence.
- Life seems meaningless or like nothing good is ever going to happen again. They have a negative attitude a lot of the time, or it seems like they have no feelings.
- Don't feel like doing a lot of the things they used to like music, sports, being with friends, going out and they want to be left alone most of the time.
- It's hard to make up their mind. They forget lots of things, and it's hard to concentrate.
- Get irritated often. Little things make them lose their temper and/or over-react.
- Sleep pattern changes; start sleeping a lot more or have trouble falling asleep at night. Wake up really early most mornings and can't get back to sleep.
- Eating pattern changes; lost appetite or eat a lot more.
- Feel restless and tired most of the time.
- Think about death, or feel like they're dying, or have thoughts about committing suicide.
Manic Symptons:
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- Feel high as a kite...like they're "on top of the world."
- Have unreal ideas about the great things they can do...things that they really can't do.
- Thoughts go racing through their head and jump from one subject to another and talk a lot.
- They are a non-stop party, constantly running around.
- Do too many wild or risky things: with driving, with spending money, with sex, etc.
- So "up" that they don't need much sleep.
- Rebellious or irritable and can't get along
Approximately 4 percent of adolescents get seriously depressed each year. Clinical depression is a serious illness that can affect anybody, including teenagers. It can affect thoughts, feelings, behavior, and overall health. Teens with depression can be helped with treatment.
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