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Symptoms refer to any sign, indicator or evidence that suggest a teen may be suffering from an underlying mental health disorder or experiencing other problems that need to be correctly identified and addressed.
Experiencing symptoms can impact the way a teen acts, thinks or feels and usually signal the need to look deeper for what is causing them. Symptoms are usually observed by a parent or reported by a teen, particularly when they come on suddenly or significantly impact a teens' functioning.
Mental health professionals focus on specific symptoms in order to develop a clearer picture of what may be lurking behind these problems and to come up with an accurate diagnosis. Symptoms are often warning signs of serious underlying problems in teens and are important to pay attention to.
Examples of symptoms include:
- A teen suffering from depression may exhibit symptoms of irritability, anger or sadness.
- A teen abusing drugs may have symptoms to include fatigue or confusion.
- A teen with ADHD may have symptoms in the classroom of inattention or distracting others.
- A teen who is being bullied may be mean to others, experience nightmares or exhibit these signs of bullying behavior.
- A teen who is cutting may become very secretive or have changes in mood.
Quick Links: Mental Health Terms Used in Treating Troubled Teens | Trouble Teens Articles | Quiz Is Your Teen At-Risk?