Sad Teens

You’re not sure what might be going on with your teen, but your gut tells you something is wrong.

At first you weren’t so sure. But now you’re becoming more and more unsettled, thinking maybe there’s more going on than you first realized. You’re getting increasingly worried and you can’t ignore this unsettled feeling any longer.

She seems sad, or withdraws, or is in her room a lot. You used to know what was going on with her, you used to be able to connect and communicate, but now whatever it is…it’s a mystery. She seems sad. Fewer things make her excited. You suspect she doesn’t feel very good about herself.

He’s brooding. He comes home and walks straight upstairs and shuts the door. Seems preoccupied, upset. Withdrawn. Or prickly. You suspect there may be something going on with friends.

Teens these days have so much going on…and they might never share a word of it with you. You know that it’s really hard to navigate life at that age and you’d like to help, but your teen won’t let you. You’re scared and wondering how you’re supposed to help, when they won’t talk about it.

If you’re feeling a little lost on how to proceed, you’re definitely not alone.

It was hard enough to be a teen when you were growing up, wasn’t it? It’s a difficult, tumultuous time. And now it’s harder than ever, because teens are under more pressure than ever before, and the world has become infinitely more complicated.

It’s common for teens to struggle with their mood. And unfortunately, depression in teens can be serious, with suicide being the second leading cause of death.

Here are some of the common symptoms:

• Sadness
• Apathy
• Lack of energy
• Irritability, outbursts
• Isolation in their room
• Withdrawal from friends
• Loss of interest in previous activities
• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Decline in grades
• Irresponsible behavior such as not following through on homework, being late

The good news is the depression in teens is highly treatable, and counseling can really help. If you teen is depressed, it’s likely that they are struggling with shame, inadequacy, or regret. They are really hard on themselves. Can you relate?

We can help your teen navigate their world differently.

Many factors can contribute to depression in teens, including feeling overwhelmed, difficulty understanding and identifying emotions, poor self-esteem, the impact of being bullied or rejected, perfectionism, and difficulty navigating relationships.

In counseling, your teen can learn the skills to recover from their depression, such as how to :

• Combat negative, critical self talk
• Reengage with the world rather than withdraw
• Become aware of and use emotions to get needs met effectively
• Develop self-acceptance and self-compassion
• Effectively interact with others with boundaries and self-esteem
• Set reasonable goals and move toward them

Your heart aches for your child, and you’d like to get back that fun, reengaged, more positive version of your teen that you used to know. We’d love to help with that.