Depression in adolescents is not always easy to recognize. When you are in puberty, you go through many emotions. You get to know yourself, you form your own identity, ... In short, a lot happens in a short period of time. It is not unusual that these changes and dealing with these changes can be major happenings in your life. It is natural that you do not always know how to deal with changes in puberty. Sometimes these changes or other major events can contribute to the development of depression in adolescents.
Depression in adolescents? What are the symptoms?
When you are going through puberty, many emotions go though you and you do not always know what to do with these. For example, you might be very sad during certain periods, or find certain things very difficult. But when do we really consider something to be a depression? We consider something to be a depression when these somber feelings start to control your life and you no longer experience other emotions for a period of at least two weeks. This means that you hardly experience any happiness at all during depressed episodes. You might feel sad sometimes but then when something fun happens, you laugh. In a depression this is not the case. You are constantly feeling somber and this feeling also controls your life.
Depression in adolescents versus depression in adults?
Depression in adolescents has the same symptoms as depression in adults has, for example, but yet there are small differences between them to be found. For example, depression in adolescents is more common than depression in adults is. Especially in puberty, a lot is happening to you and it might be so that you do not always know how to deal with these feelings. Furthermore, the chances that you experience physical consequences in depression in adolescents is higher, too. Because your body is more vulnerable than the body of adults are, chances are increased that a depression in adolescents has an influence on your body, too. Most common physical complaints in depression in adolescents are:
- Stomach issues
- Headache and migraine
- Muscular ache
Especially in girls, depression in adolescents can influence the development of migraine. Because of the worrying behavior, which is a symptom of depression in adolescents, it can be so that your brain is excessively used, and this can lead to physical complaints. Females are, in such periods, more vulnerable to the development of migraine.
Depression in adolescents? How do I treat depression in adolescents?
It is not easy as an adolescent to take the step toward proper healthcare. You do not know where to go for treatment for depression in adolescents, and your parents often need to get involved in this treatment. That is why it often is difficult as an adolescent to find the motivation to look for help. Here, the online self-help program from 15 Minutes 4 Me can help you. It supports you in dealing with depression in adolescents through its therapeutic techniques and daily reflective moments. It guides you every day from home in order to place changes and negative happenings. Furthermore, it helps you to discover what you can personally do in order to reach your goals in a more efficient way, so that depression in adolescents does not have a chance of returning. Relapse prevention in depression in adolescents is namely very important.
Depression in adolescents? Take the depression test!
Would you like to know if you might be suffering from depression symptoms of a depression in adolescents? Then take our free depression test!