How To Identify Depression In Your Adolescent or Teen
Topic: Depression in Adolescents and Teens
A couple of weeks ago I escorted my youngest son to the funeral of someone he affectionately describes as, his first real friend. A teenage young man who was always smiling and happy. Not ever showing signs of being depressed.
Immersed in tears, he went to his first real friend’s social media accounts. As we both scanned his first real friend’s account, my heart hurt for my baby. But my heart was in pain for his friend. What caught my attention right off the bat was his first real friend’s profile pic. His profile pic was a pic of him not really showing his face. And then I noticed zero posts, only a handful of follows, but following a ton of people.
Depression In Adolescents and Teens
Depression in adolescents and teens shows itself in the typical signs and symptoms of depression. However, society has for generations associated these behaviors with hormones. We don’t see depression in a lack of energy and no desire to do anything, we see laziness. We don’t see anxiety when avoiding confrontation or being seen, we see coward. We don’t see hopelessness and despair in life, we see darkness. We don’t see low self-esteem and a lack of confidence, we see shyness. We don’t see a lack of self-love with bad hygiene, we see just plain nasty.
For centuries these behaviors were only treated at the surface level for adolescents and teens. Overlooking what perhaps could be deeper wombs. The WHY. Below are some behaviors your adolescent or teen may be displaying and could possibly be signs and/or symptoms of depression.
DISCLAIMER
This is not a medical diagnosis of any manner for depression or anxiety. Any one of these behaviors is cause for someone to check in with the adolescent or teen in their life.
Look for these signs or symptoms of depression in your adolescent or teen.
- They never post on social media but they spend a great deal of their time on social media
- They post consistently on social media attempting to uphold a false identity or image
- They isolate. Isolation is beyond being shy around others. It’s staying locked in their room and away from family even when they are at home.
- Your adolescent or teen uses food to comfort.
- OMG, their hygiene is absolutely terrible.
- They are not interested in doing ANYTHING. They have no interest in anything. Not even in the things they used to love doing.
- Your adolescent or teen complains about not being able to sleep at night.
- They are sleeping entirely too much.
- Most of the time they have low energy. Everything they do is in slow motion.
- They are sometimes overly happy. No matter the occasion, they will try to act happier than happy.
- Your adolescent or teen is angry and can be overly aggressive.
- They can’t take a joke.
Awareness
My son asked me a few days later, how did I know his first real friend committed suicide. I described to him what I saw in the pictures and how I felt his spirit. Of course, I didn’t know for sure how he had died, but what I did recognize because what I do know is depression. Signs and symptoms.
Mission Forward Model2Mentor
FASTell Girl Model2Mentor Programs’ mission is to equip adolescent girls with behavior management skills to ACCESS a higher quality of life. Suicide rates in adolescent girls have been increasing drastically since approximately 2011. Professionals don’t necessarily know why rates are increasing so fast, however, they do contribute to the increasing numbers of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation (hopelessness) to the rise in cases.
It is the belief of FASTell Girl that equipping these young ladies with healthy social-emotional learning and mentorship, gives them hope beyond what Adverse Childhood Experiences have shaped their belief system about their lives and themselves.
Join FASTell Girl Model2Mentor Program on Saturday, September 10, 2022, as we host our first annual virtual Walk-A-Thon to raise money for our fall 2022 and spring 2023 cycles.
You can also support our mission by purchasing one of our GOAL GETTER journals that are designed to help guide you through depression anxiety and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness.
To learn more about the nonprofit organizations WHY, WHAT, and HOW, You can order a pre-sell copy of our organization’s brand book written by the founder titled, FASTell Girl Presents: The 5 Principles of a Gem. This inspiring and empowering book gifts readers with skills to survive life’s pains through utilizing the 5 principles of Awareness, Acknowledgment, Acceptance, Accountability, and ACCESS. Principles that are used to ignite skills that assist in managing behaviors and emotions with clients of FASTell Girl Model2Mentor Program.
Thug Therapy aims to bring you relatable content aimed to awaken awareness about mental health and spark conversations about mental health in the black community. The contents of Thug Therapy Lifestyle Blog website, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the Thug Therapy Lifestyle Blog website (“content”) are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Thug Therapy Lifestyle Blog website. The one thing we have learned in our journey to wellness and wholeness is just as we all are different, so will our treatment plans. Thug Therapy Lifestyle Blog is meant to provide a peek into the reality of someone living with depression and cptsd.