Teen Depression Counseling
Depression is one of the most common psychological/psychiatric disorders. It affects a person's overall energy, mood, expressions of emotion and behavior. Depression is commonly referred to as a Mood Disorder. Emotion is what you are feeling at a given moment. How you feel over a long period of time is your mood.
Depression is a serious mood disorder that can take the joy from a child’s life. It is normal for a child to be moody or sad from time to time. You can expect these feelings after the death of a pet or a move to a new city. But if these feelings last for weeks or months, they may be a sign of depression.
Experts used to think that only adults could get depression. Now we know that even a young child can have depression that needs treatment to improve. As many as 3 in 100 young children and 9 in 100 teens have serious depression.
Still, many children don't get the treatment they need. This is partly because it can be hard to tell the difference between depression and normal moodiness. Also, depression may not look the same in a child as in an adult.
If you are worried about your child, learn more about the symptoms in children. Talk to your child to see how he or she is feeling. If you think your child is depressed, talk to your doctor or a counselor. The sooner a child gets treatment, the sooner he or she will start to feel better.
What are some of the signs of depression in children and teens?
Infants and preschool children who are depressed may have a poor appetite and may lose weight. You may notice that they don't seem to enjoy playing.
School-aged children who are depressed may seem less confident. They might feel like they can't do anything right. Older children and teens who are depressed may seem to stop caring about themselves or family members, may not want to go to school and, in general, may lose interest in life activities. Older children may also show signs of eating more and sleeping more, or eating less and sleeping less.
In some children, the only signs of depression may be having a headache or stomachache, not wanting to go to school or losing their temper. If you notice these signs everyday for several weeks, they might mean your child is depressed.
What should I do if I think my child is depressed?
Ask your child about his or her thoughts and feelings. It may also be a good idea to talk to your doctor about your child's behavior and your concerns about depression. In most cases, taking your child to your family doctor is a good idea. A medical problem may be causing the depression. Your doctor may want to give your child a general medical check-up.
When Is Sadness a Problem?
If a sad feeling goes on for too long, hurts too deeply, and makes it hard for you to enjoy the good things about your life, it's called depression.
Here are some of the signs and symptoms of depression:
- feeling empty or numb
- feeling hopeless (like there's nothing to look forward to)
- feeling guilty or worthless
- feeling lonely or unloved
- feeling irritable and annoyed a lot (every little thing gets on your nerves)
- feeling like things are not fun anymore
- having trouble keeping your mind on schoolwork or homework or getting bad grades
- having trouble keeping your mind on things like reading or watching TV or not remembering what a book or a TV show was about
- having less energy and feeling tired all the time
- sleeping too much or not enough
- not eating enough and weight loss or eating too much and weight gain
- thinking about death or thinking about suicide
- spending less time with friends and more time alone
- crying a lot, often for no reason
- feeling restless (being unable to sit still or relax)
- having certain body feelings, like lots of stomachaches, headaches, or chest pain
People who have depression may not even know it. Often it's a parent or teacher who notices behavior changes like the ones in the list above. Depression can run in families. Having a parent who gets depressed makes it more likely for a kid to become depressed.
Some kids have depression after the loss of someone really close, such as a parent; long-lasting problems at home, including violence, illness, divorce, or alcohol or drug use; child abuse or neglect; rape; and long-term illness, burns, or accidents. But sometimes kids may be depressed for no apparent reason.
Getting Help
Kids, teens, and adults can get depression. It's very important for people of any age who have depression to get help. When they do, they can get better quickly. Sometimes treatment involves talking to someone who knows all about depression. Sometimes medications can help depression heal. Sometimes both of these things are used.
If you think you have depression or you just have sadness that simply will not go away, it is important to talk to an adult about it: a parent, relative, doctor, teacher, guidance counselor, coach, or close adult friend. This person can help you find the right type of treatment. Many cities also have mental health hotlines or suicide hotlines that are listed in the phone book. There is always somebody to talk to when you are sad or if you are depressed — somebody who can help.
Young children with behavior or family difficulties don't always feel comfortable in what is known as traditional "talk" therapy. To help these kids, therapists take them into an especially equipped Play Room and talk with them there while they interact with the toys.
When children are distressed, they out through their natural method of processing -- play. For example, when a divorce is happening in the family, a child may use the dolls in the doll house to play out a scene where the parents are fighting. This gives the therapist the opportunity to talk with the child about the feelings this kind of situation stimulates in him.
Play Therapy is a widely-accepted, very effective tool for helping children in problematic life situations learn to express their feelings and explore coping skills. The therapy can be helpful in dealing with a wide range of problems from simple environmental stress to more severe behavior difficulties. In order to benefit from this kind of therapy, children need to be somewhat verbal and able to interact meaningfully with the therapist.
If you are interesting in Teen or Child counseling, call the main phone number at 303-933-5800
or fill out the contact form to make arrangements for an appointment.
We want to help you begin your journey of recovery today!