Is Your Teenager Depressed? Signs of Depression in Teens
Teenagers are mysterious creatures. Even though we've all been teenagers, somehow that experience doesn't amount to much when we are trying to understand our own. Read on for signs that your teenager might be suffering from depression.
So how do you tell the difference between normal behavior and depression in a teen?
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While normal teenage behavior might seem at first glance to be very similar to depression, these similarities are fairly superficial. It is possible to separate the two. Let's look at the behavior a non-depressed teenager might exhibit:
- Mood swings
- Mildly rebellious behavior (breaking curfew, taking car without asking, etc.)
- Listening to angst-ridden music that grownups can't possibly understand
- Dressing strangely (at least as far as adults are concerned)
- Sleeping late
- General unwillingness to let parents into his/her life
This is all normal behavior for teens. Much of it is explained by the natural process of separating from your parents and establishing your own identity. It may be frustrating, but it's not depression.
By — Last Modified: 04/03/2012, First Published: 09/14/2011
