How to Tell if Your Teen is Depressed

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:

• 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.