Signs Of Depression in Teens

How can you recognize depression in teens? A parent of a teen experiencing depression might say or think something like…

• My teen isn’t sleeping right. They either can’t get to sleep, stay asleep or they are sleeping a lot and I can’t get them out of bed.

• They’ve lost their spark or their energy.

• They’re eating too much or too little. They gained or lost weight because of it.

• They don’t hang out with their friends as much anymore.

• They’ve suddenly changed friends in a way that feels out of character for them.

• They’re complaining about unusual aches and pains, especially belly aches.

• They seem out of it and can’t seem to focus.

• They are suddenly smoking a lot of weed. (Well. most parents would say ‘pot’ and their teen would say ‘weed’). Or they are suddenly drinking a lot.

• They got in trouble with the police recently.

• They got into a fight.

• Something is up with school. For the first time they’ve had changes in their grades or changes in the feedback from teachers. They just aren’t themselves.

• I can’t pinpoint the symptoms, but something with my parental spidey senses says something has happened and/or they just aren’t themselves.

• They straight up told me they weren’t doing well and said they needed to talk to someone.

Some of these situations/changes could also be indicators of something else, but they are typically associated with depression. Sometimes, these changes in your teen can be difficult to manage. It’s natural to try and address the behaviour… especially if you are worried about them. Often, addressing the underlying issues, challenges, and feelings resulting in these behaviours is an important part of helping teens get back on track.