An uncomfortable atmosphere or an argument with friends may seem simple to adults. However, it is different if the condition is experienced by teenagers. If allowed to drag on, this can trigger depression in teens.
Adolescents often experience mood swings or mood. That's why teenagers who look moody or sad are often considered normal, for example because of a broken heart, becoming a victim on line catfishing, getting bad grades, or feeling a lack of attention from parents.
In fact, it could be a symptom of depression in teenagers. If left unchecked, this condition can continue and cause the emergence of the desire to hurt yourself, even commit suicide.
Various Trigger Factors and Symptoms of Depression in Adolescents
Depression in adolescents can be triggered by a variety of factors, ranging from environmental, hormonal changes, traumatic experiences, to genetics or heredity.
Usually, depression in adolescents causes complaints and symptoms in the form of:
- It's easy to cry, get offended, and get angry over simple things.
- Loss of interest in performing daily activities.
- It's easy to blame yourself.
- Difficulty concentrating, often skipping classes, and dropping grades.
- Difficulty sleeping and insomnia.
- It's easy to feel tired.
- Frequent headaches or stomach aches.
- No appetite or just overeating.
Depression in adolescents is more difficult to detect, because adolescents often experience changes mood. Therefore, parents, families, and teachers must be more sensitive to changes in adolescent behavior.
If change mood or the behavior of the teenager seems to last a long time and interferes with his activities, the teenager should immediately be taken to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Some of the questions that psychologists and psychiatrists will usually ask to find out if someone is depressed are:
- Are there certain things that are bothering you?
- Do you feel?
- Have your appetite and sleep patterns changed?
- Have you been feeling tired lately or feeling like you're running out of energy?
- Have you ever had the urge to hurt yourself, or even the urge to kill yourself?
- Have you used alcohol or drugs recently?
The Role of Parents in Helping Overcome Depression in Adolescents
If a teenager is declared to be suffering from depression, the doctor will give him treatment in the form of psychotherapy and antidepressant drugs, antidepressant drugs.
During treatment, parents need to do the following ways to help their teenager recover from depression:
1. Learn about depression
The first way that parents can do to help their teens deal with depression is to learn everything related to depression, for example how to react to it and how to communicate with people with depression.
By knowing information about depression, parents can better understand what their child is really experiencing and feeling.
2. Listen to children's stories
Being a good listener is one of the simple steps that parents need to take. When listening to children's complaints and stories, choose a comfortable place or atmosphere.
Parents can also provoke their children by asking simple questions, such as: How was your day? What are you feeling? How are your friends? Ask slowly and don't come across as interrogative.
When a teenager feels comfortable telling stories without being judged and feels trusted by his parents, he will usually be willing to open up about the problems he is facing.
3. Invite teenagers to adopt a healthy lifestyle
Exercising can help improve your mood. Therefore, to help teens relieve symptoms of depression, invite him to exercise regularly. As much as possible, balance it with other healthy lifestyles, such as eating nutritious foods and getting enough rest.
4. Limit use gadgets
To help overcome depression in adolescents, parents also need to provide rules and time limits for using gadgets. Invite children to more often do positive activities and get along with a good environment.
Symptoms of depression in adolescents are often disguised and fail to be detected. In fact, this condition cannot be considered trivial and its handling cannot be done in a short time. Therefore, adults as parents or teachers need to be more observant in recognizing changes mood and attitudes in adolescents.