Teen depression, is your child suffering?
Teen Depression is a rapidly growing concern in our society today. Aside from obesity, teen depression is one of the major concerns affecting our youth of today. Reaching near epidemic proportions, teen depression is immensely contributing to countless numbers of teen deaths via suicide. Thousands of suicides per year and countless more attempts. Teen depression can be a difficult problem to diagnose for parents. Many teens often will not open-up with their parents and when it comes to depression many will not talk to their friends. This may be due because of the status quo of depression.
Teen depression symptoms are very much the same as adults. Some of the symptoms can include a lack of motivation or general interest in normal daily activities. They could have some feelings of hopelessness and perhaps even some suicidal thoughts. Some may show signs of withdrawal from their everyday friends.
There is always a way to help
If you suspect that your teen may be depressed. Try talking to him or her and take them to your doctor. Anti-Depressant drugs are widely prescribed today. However, they may not be the only option available. Scientific studies over the past few years have reached some startling conclusions about teen depression. Recently, several studies have concluded that suicide rates have actually gone up. This includes teens that have been taking antidepressant drugs. However, any validity of such studies has yet to be conclusively determined.
Many of the patients who are taking heavy doses of antidepressants can generally be suicidal anyway. Therefore, it makes it difficult to tell if the drug itself is actually contributing to suicide. Or if the teens are either not taking their drugs, or the drugs are not acting quickly enough to relieve depression. It should also be noted that the use of anti-depressant drugs have probably helped more teens than not.
Thorough research should be done before making any decisions to take anti-depressants. Talk to friends and family. Ask around to see if they know anyone taking anti-depressant drugs and their successes. After starting treatment careful monitoring of your child should be done by you and your doctor. Many times one particular type of anti-depressant may not work so another can be tried.
Other treatments
There are other treatment options available for your depressed child. Help through counselling is one possible option if your child is not suffering from severe depression. Alternatively, you could consider electroconvulsive therapy. Or perhaps, nerve stimulation as possible treatment options for those suffering from teen depression.
Magnetic and hormone-based therapies are also possibilities for treatment. However, they are completely experimental at this point. Nobody knows for sure yet if they will actually work to prevent depression in the long term. Understanding depression and its symptoms should help you determine what type of depression your child may or may not have. In turn, will help you to seek out the professional that may be needed.
