Teen Depression Is At An All Time High In America

With the economy hanging by a thread and the United States fighting two wars it is no wonder that teens may be suffering from depression and anxiety. Many young men and young women are much more aware of the issues facing the world today than most parents understand. It may be unclear for a parent to correctly determine why their teen has turned from a reasonable lovable child into a defiant troubled teen.

Drastic behavior changes should be evaluated by medical or psychiatric professional. The evaluation process itself can be a difficult venture to undertake. As you may have already discovered it is impossible to obtain an effective psychiatric diagnosis if your child is unwilling to cooperate. Many parents have wasted a lot of money and time taking their child to psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, etc. only to find out that their child is not being truthful with the professionals you have hired. Some manipulative teens are able to convince the professional that it is really their parents that have the problem. This whole process can be a very discouraging and trying time for parents as they struggle with decisions that could potentially save the life of their child.

In summary it is a difficult process to determine if your child is really suffering from depression or if they are just going through typical teen mood changes. It is normal for a teen to pull away from the family they have been close to. The withdrawal can be due in part to a teen wanting to be cool and accepted in the eyes of his peers. The difficulty for a parent lies in trying to determine what typical teen withdrawal is, and what is a teen pulling away because he or she is not behaving as he knows he should. It is always important to seek medical help if a teen becomes depressed and is talking about suicide.

Feelings Of Despair

When a teen begins to withdraw from family and friends and keeps to themselves parents should begin trying to communicate with them. Feelings of despair will be hard to detect unless a line of communication is opened. This may seem like an insignificant issue but depending on the despair the teen is feeling this could be a sign of depression. Depression is common among the youth of today. Depression left unchecked can become a life threatening problem for a troubled teen. The teen becomes more withdrawn even pulling away from family and friends. They will want to sleep more and more. It is critical to help a teen suffering with feelings of despair as this is a sign of depression. Teen suicide is too dangerous to fool around with. If you believe your teen is exhibiting signs of despair and depression seek professional help immediately. It is also important to make sure there are not firearms available for a teen that is suffering from feeling of despair. Some teens will actually make an attempt on their life. It is a cry for help and should be taken very seriously. Statistics show that girls are more likely to attempt suicide than boys. Boys are more likely to actually commit suicide meaning that girls make more attempts but boys succeed more often.

Emotional Problems

Emotional problems displayed in troubled teens vary from teen to teen. Most teens begin showing increased emotions as they enter puberty and enter adulthood. The physical changes that they are going through create emotional problems not to mention falling in love for the first time, rejection by peers etc. The range of emotions can be daunting and overwhelming for a teen to deal with. The problem is not isolated in girls boys also begin experiencing feelings they are not familiar with. The key to assisting a teen with emotional problems is communication. If a parent has an open line with the teen troubled with emotional problems it will be much easier to not only identify but to help them. Serious emotional problems like that of suicide should be monitored carefully. Emotional problems can be a beginning sign leading to suicide. If a teen is struggling emotionally it would be smart to seek medical help to determine the severity of the problem. As for any type of mental issue it is always better to seek help a little too early than a little too late.