YOUR TEEN MAY BE DEPRESSED

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Being a teenager has never been easy; there really are brain development issues going on during this time of life. Some moodiness, acting out or lack of communication is extremely common, and parents have been suffering through the generation gap for as long as there have been generations.

However, adding to this particularly vulnerable time for young people is our increasingly complex society. Things like the monster presence of social media and the ever-widening channels to illegal drugs and pornography provide more complicated pressures for today’s teens than to those of even one generation ago.

It’s not unusual for teens to react to the pressures around them by succumbing to depression. Depending on your child’s personality, depression may manifest with a withdrawal into sadness, drastic loss of interest in activities, extreme fatigue or general lack of motivation – or it may display as increasing irritability, aggression or even rage.

Researchers estimate that one in four adolescents suffer from periods of major depression, and the average onset is age 14. They may make decisions during these times that may have unintended consequences – and can affect a lifetime. You may see these pitfalls as a parent – but your children simply cannot. It’s so is frustrating, but what can you do?

If you’ve ever flown a commercial airline, you may remember the safety drill at the beginning of each flight which includes instructions about the use of oxygen masks in case the cabin loses air pressure. They always instruct parents traveling with children to install their own oxygen masks first and then attend to the child’s: the reason being you can’t help anyone else if you’re incapacitated.

Counseling on Demand (COD) may be able to help you equip yourself when it comes to dealing with a depressed teen – or even recognizing the signs. Talking to a trained professional about your concerns can help you discern the difference between garden variety teen moodiness and an episode of serious depression.

COD provides good counsel – when and where you need it. Explore this opportunity by scheduling a free online meeting with a COD counselor. Contact us today – and let us help you breathe.