Depression is something that no parent ever wants their child to experience. However, depression is common among teens. If you are unsure whether or not your teen is depressed, there are a number of signs that may indicate that he or she is, in fact, going through depression.
Here are some of the top 15 signs to look for to determine whether or not your teen is depressed.
1. They Believe that Life Is Meaningless.
They may express this to you by telling you that this is how they feel. Or they may just give-off a general attitude that reflects this belief.
2. Significant Weight Gain or Weight Loss
Sometimes, when teenagers are depressed, they will try to cope with it either by eating excessively or by eating significantly less food. If you notice that your teen is gaining or losing a lot of weight, it could definitely be a sign of depression.
3. A Sharp Drop in School Performance
If your child used to be a straight A student, and suddenly starts failing classes, or even getting C’s and D’s, this could be an indicator that he or she is depressed. Depression can cause apathy towards things like school and it can make your child feel less motivated to work hard and get good grades.
4. Hurting Themselves
Things like cutting, burning, or sometimes even getting an extreme amount of piercings can all be signs that your child is depressed. If you see any self-inflicted cuts on your child’s body,
5. Suicidal Thoughts
Hopefully your child is not having any suicidal thoughts. However, if he or she is, it could definitely mean that he or she is depressed. Like self-harm, suicidal thoughts need to be taken very seriously.
6. Social Isolation
Has your teen suddenly stopped hanging out with his or her friends and started spending more and more time alone? If so, this could be an indicator that he or she is experiencing at least some level of depression.
7. Neglecting Personal Hygiene
If your teen stops showering regularly or neglects other normal grooming, it could
8. Changes in Sleep Patterns
This could mean either that they have insomnia and are staying awake through the night, or that they are oversleeping and have trouble getting up for school.
9. Substance Abuse
Substance abuse would involve your teen suddenly starting to consume large amounts of alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs. Oftentimes, if a teen starts abusing drugs heavily, it is because they are trying to cover up some sort of negative emotional state, and self-medicate the pain of depression.
10. Physical Pain
When teenagers start making a lot of complaints about physical pain that does not have a direct cause, this often goes hand-in-hand with depression. So, this is something to look out for.
11. Reckless Behavior
There are a number of reckless behaviors that can be a
12. Being Extremely Sensitive to Criticism
If your child is extremely sensitive to even the smallest amount of criticism, it could be a sign that he or she is feeling worthless on the inside.
13. Lack of Energy/fatigue
Whether this lack of energy is real or imagined, it is often something that many teenagers who have depression complain about.
14. Withdrawing from Activities They Used to Be Interested In
These activities could be clubs, sports teams, volunteer programs, religious groups, etc. If your teen used to love these things and suddenly withdraws from them, it is often a sign that he or she has depression.
15. Belief that the Future Is Extremely Bleak
Depressed teens often see the future as hopeless, bleak, or a lost cause. They believe they will not have a good life in the future and they feel very negatively about it.