Depression in Teens - How to Prevent Depression in Teens

Depression in teens is a very serious subject. Each year, 4% of teenagers will suffer serious depression, and need professional help.

While feeling sad is a healthy feeling, prolonged sadness without recovery leads to depression. If your teen is depressed, you will most likely find they will have problems with school work, relationships with friends and family, and engage in potentially harmful actions like drug use and unprotected sex.

The fact is that depression in teens can be treated with the proper resources. Yet, most depression cases in the United States, dealing with teens, go untreated. This is terrible, because if depression goes untreated it will get worse, last longer, and be harder to reverse if treatment does take place.

The two most common forms of depression in teens are reactive depression and manic depression, also known as bipolar disorder. Reactive depression is the most common type of depression, and deals with prolonged states of sadness and feelings of worthlessness. Bipolar disorder is characterized by a disturbing change of moods, usually from extremely manic to extremely sad, in short periods of time.

There are certain symptoms you should look for, when evaluating depression in teens. If your teen is sad a lot, and doesn't feel the usual relief after crying, this is a very critical sign.

Also, if they often express feelings of guilt, for no adequate reason, and their self-esteem is low, that is another sign. Other indicators are frequent indecision, a negative outlook on life, irregular sleep patterns, and high irritability, to name a few.

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.

In more severe cases of depression in teens, medication is also often prescribed. Depending upon the level of depression, medication might be required first before progress is made.

In conclusion, I have given you some facts to consider, relating to depression in teens. Use this information to determine the best course of action for you or your teen today, to make sure there is no unnecessary suffering being caused by depression in your life.