If you think your teen is depressed, do not ignore it. If your teen is depressed, there are things you can do and steps you can take that will help your teenager overcome their depression. If it turns out he/she is not depressed, you’ve showed him/her that you cared enough to check it out. Either way, you and your teen wins.
Here are five things you should do if you think your teen is depressed:
- Talk with your teen about your concerns. Share with him/her that you have noticed some signs of depression and what those signs are. Ask your teen what he/she feels is causing these signs. You may find they have an explanation. The most important part of this talk is for you to let your teen know that you are there and you can help.
- Make an appointment for your teen to see their doctor. There could be a physical reason for your teenager to be showing some of the symptoms you are seeing.
- Check your teen’s family medical history. You need to know if there is any clinical depression or other mood disorders that may affect your teen.
- Make an appointment for a consultation with a specialist in adolescent psychology. Once you have talked to them, you will feel more comfortable with making an appointment for your teen.
- You need to not talk to anyone else. As much as possible, keep this to yourself. You need to respect your teen’s privacy and not share this with everyone in the family.
