Emotional wounds and Self-concept
Emotional issues may have the most weight in the occurrence of depression in a problem teen. But most often these emotional issues can actually be set off by physical or social changes. The body of an adolescent is going through a significant amount of growth and change. These different stages of growth and times of physical change can most definitely leave a teen with awkward feelings.
For example, if a girl hasn’t quite matured in the chest area yet, she may feel awkward next to girls who are all gossiping about the latest bras they are wearing in the school bathroom. On the other hand, a guy who hasn’t gone through his adolescent growth spurt yet may feel scrawny next to his peers when they are all out playing ball in the field.
These two scenarios, may leave your teenager with emotional wounds that can significantly alter his self-concept. An adolescent’s negative self-concept is a window for the development of depression. If he focuses on his unhappiness with his own physical image for example, he may even begin to feel hopelessness as the matter of his own physical growth is in the hands of nature and not his own control. From here, his feelings of hopelessness and unhappiness can become depression.
Fitting in
Your teenager may also be experiencing difficulty fitting in with his peers at this stage. If his peers ridicule him or he experiences being bullied by others, then problems with self-concept may again easily arise. Finding a peer group where your teen can feel he belongs is vital to your teen’s high school survival.
He may actually put this at the top of the list (even before his academic performance.) And because of the importance he places on fitting in, it can cause him much grief if he does not feel at home or comfortable with any social group. This may lead to his isolation at school which can foster the growth of depression within him.
Providing Reassurance
As a parent, there is only so much you can do to shelter your teen from issues such as these. Problems fitting in and awkward physical changes are normal issues that teenagers everywhere face. What’s important is being able to recognize when your teen can not cope with these normal issues and may be in the face of depression. Reassuring your teenager of a positive self-concept is always a good move to make. You can fight the negativity that his peers may be shelling out with positive reassurance. Your teen may not be sure of himself on his own in the face of his peers, but with your reassurance he can be.
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