A classic issue with teenagers in the time of adolescence is difficulty communicating feelings. If your teen is having difficulty expressing himself to you or to his peers, then you can expect double the trouble in deciphering the signs of depression. They themselves may experience confusion in comprehending their own feelings. They may not end up viewing their depression as a serious disorder that must be treated and dealt with accordingly, but as a simple change of mood. Here is where things can get complicated. Depression not only must be given the proper diagnosis but it also requires appropriate treatment. If left alone, not only may the condition of the disorder worsen, but ultimately depression may lead to teen suicide. Refer to misdiagnosis of Depression in Troubled Teens for more information. Once you have figured out that your teen is struggling with depression then give yourself a pat on the back. Knowing is half the battle. First of all it is important to make sure that your teenager is not suicidal. It is crucial to initially address this because of the rate of suicide in depressed patients. If your teenager is not suicidal, you may go on to address his or her depression itself. Isolation is a number one enemy of a parent with a depressed teen. When your teen is alone, he or she can become enveloped by strong feelings of negativity very easily. And of course this is not what you want in order to combat your child’s depression. Try and get your teen out of his or her room and away from loneliness. Refer to dealing with teenage depression for more information. When a depressed teen is undergoing psychotherapy, the issues which lie behind his or her disorder are being addressed. A psychotherapist may want to talk with him or her about his or her feelings in different situations. By getting to the root of a teen’s depression the likelihood of it resulting in suicide is greatly reduced, if not eliminated. It is vital for a depressed teen to be in psychotherapy because it gives him or her a chance to air out the negative feelings he or she may be keeping inside. This gives the therapist a chance to correct any misconceptions that the patient may have about him or herself, or life in general. Instead of leaving these misconceptions to brew negativity within your teen, he or she gets a chance to release them. Refer to Role of Psychotherapy in dealing with Teen Depression for more information. While the patient is dealing with his or her issues behind the depression in psychotherapy, medication can help him or her deal with the symptoms of the disorder.
It is important to consider the fact that all patients are unique individuals. Just because one medication worked for this patient doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be the most beneficial for another patient. If a certain medication prescribed for depression does not show favorable results in your troubled teen, don’t be quick to shun medication in the treatment of your teen’s disorder. A different kind of medication for depression may have a positive effect on your teen’s progress. For some people, the class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) are helpful in the treatment of atypical depression, while others prefer monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI’s). Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA’s) are also another class of drugs which are frequently used in the treatment of melancholic depression. Refer to Role of Medication in dealing with Teen Depression for more information. |
