Signs Your Teen May Be Depressed

Learn how to recognize warning signs in your teen and help them get their mental health needs met. With the right treatment and support, they can develop positive coping skills and resiliency they need to make it through adolescence and pave the way to healthful adulthood.

  • Feeling sad all or most of the time and the feeling does not go away

  • Frequent crying

  • Feeling guilty for no apparent reason

  • Losing self­-confidence; feeling they are ‘no good’; being over self­-critical

  • Feeling that life has no meaning or purpose

  • Feeling nothing good will happen; feeling hopeless or helpless

  • Having a negative attitude most of the time

  • Self-­blame

  • They seemingly have no feelings

  • Failure to enjoy things that used to bring enjoyment

  • Difficulty concentrating, making decisions

  • Getting irritated frequently and easily

  • Getting angry easily; increase in aggressive behavior

  • Being overly sensitive to criticism (especially in high achievers)

  • Changes in eating habits (loss of appetite or weight loss; overeating/weight gain)

  • Changes in sleeping habits: insomnia, sleeping too much, not feeling rested

  • Feeling tired most of the time/fatigue/lack of energy

  • Physical pain

  • Social withdrawal/becoming withdrawn from family

  • Sudden loss of interest in personal hygiene

  • Self-harm including excessive use of drugs and/or alcohol*

  • Thoughts about death, feeling like he/she is dying, wishing to die, increased talk about dying, preoccupation with death

  • Having thoughts about committing suicide or making suicide attempts

Treatment for substance abuse should be obtained if:

  • Use has resulted in a failure to fulfill responsibilities

  • Use has resulted in being placed in dangerous situations

  • Use has resulted in legal action

  • Use has continued even though problems have resulted from use

If you suspect that your teen may be struggling with depression, remember it is a very treatable condition, and the sooner treatment is sought out, the more effective it will be. Reach out to Avenues of Counseling and Mediation to get set up with a counselor who specializes in teen depression and get him or her back on track. Convenient locations in the Medina and Akron, Ohio area

Nicki Masters