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Troubled Teens, Troubled Souls

© Jean Hamman

All teens experience sadness. Frustrations, disillusionment, the first heart break and hormones running amok are bound to sadden the gladdest of hearts on occasion. However, some teens experience a sadness that goes deeper, lasts longer and weighs heavier. This deeper, darker sadness is depression.

Depression is one of the most common disorders among adolescents and it's symptoms manifest themselves in many ways. Several studies have shown that adolescents suffering from depression show increased aggressive tendencies. These studies show that many children incarcerated in juvenile detention facilities have depressive disorders and that there is a high correlation between depressive disorders and the conduct disorders which often find teens at odds with the legal system. Teens suffering from depression may also abuse alcohol or drugs, and are at higher risk of STD's and pregnancy.

Warning Signs of Adolescent Depression Include:

Frequent sadness and/or hopelessness which the teen may express through dark poetry, dark or depressing music, black clothing or tears. The child may show little or no care toward their appearance or hygiene. They may express their belief that their plight will never change and they may feel their future holds no bright promise.

These feelings can cause teens to lose interest in favorite activities such as sports, clubs, reading, art, etc. While it is normal for teens to outgrow some activities, the depressed teen will not replace these activities with new interests. Sometimes these deeply sad and hopeless feelings lead to thoughts of death, suicide or self-mutilation. These are signs of serious depression and must never be ignored as a passing phase.

Depression causes decreased energy and social isolation. The teen may have difficulty with motivation. You're saying "Don't they all??", aren't you? But the depressed teenager will have difficulty summoning the energy to perform the activities they enjoy, as well as the activities the parent assigns as chores. They may, for instance, not "feel like" going to the mall with their friends, not "feel like" going to the rock concert, etc. The teen may feel tired all the time because sleep disturbances are also a sign of depression. The depressed teen may be unable to get to sleep and watch TV to all hours, he/she may wake in the middle of the night and be unable to go back to sleep, or may feel the need to sleep too much.

Because depression can cause low self-esteem, teens may be overly sensitive to what they perceive as rejection or failure. They may feel as if they are insignificant and become irritable, taking out their misery on family members via verbal, emotional or physical abuse. This rage may be their way of gaining control of the life which they perceive is spiraling out of their grasp.