Helping Your Teen Through Depression

Helping Your Teen Through Depression

By:


Getting through the teenage years is not easy, we all know that, but most of us make it through to adulthood with no ill effects. Unfortunately, there are a number of young people who are not so lucky. To us, the ups and downs of adolescence are normal but to them they are stressful, causing anxiety or depression. Because we expect young people to have mood swings or angry outbursts or emotional reactions, we can very easily miss the signs of depression. We can no longer treat our teens' problems lightly. We need to listen to them and to take notice of the way they act.

Take time to listen

The most important thing we can do to help our teens through depression is to take time to listen. At the start it may be hard to get them to open up, as they might be used to us in our parenting role of correcting or admonishing rather than just listening. They may not be used to the idea of our listening in a caring, non-judgemental way. In fact, our relationship with them might be one of their problems. They might not trust us enough to take us into their confidence. In addition to that, they may feel foolish and think we will make light of their problems and not take them seriously.

Hopefully, with kindness and patience, we will be able to build understanding, so we can help our young people get through this difficult period without any long term effects. Once they see we are giving them this respect and are willing to work with them to get through their issues, they are more likely to trust us. We can then give them real support. If we cannot build this trust we need to find someone who can. They need someone to listen to them and to take their concerns seriously.

Here are some other things we can do:

1. Encourage them to do the things they like doing

2. Make sure they are eating properly and going to bed at a reasonable hour

3. Praise them when they get things right or do things that are positive

4. Encourage them to get help from a professional. The family doctor is a good place to start, but some might prefer a stranger. If this is the case, talk to your doctor and get them to recommend someone else. Maybe they can refer a professional who is experienced in dealing with teenage depression. Go with them so they do not feel alone

5. If you cannot influence your child to go for help then you should go to get some guidance as to the next steps you can take

6. Any talk of suicide or of people who have committed suicide should be taken seriously

7. Any actions which have a finality about them should be taken seriously - giving away special possessions; meaningful goodbyes; getting affairs in order

In helping your teen through depression, you are really trying to change your child's view of the world from a negative to a positive one. Mostly, you will be able to do this with love, understanding and patience, but if you feel the whole problem is getting beyond you, call in anyone who may have some influence on your child. Look for people with a special relationship - a school counsellor, a family friend or favorite relative. Even if your child objects to involving these people, you still need to do it, as it could be matter of life or death.

About the Author:
You will find more ideas on how to help your child through depression at http://www.squidoo.com/teenagers-and-depression William Burnell has 4 adult children and 6 teenage grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. He has experienced the difficulties of dealing withtroubled teenagers.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


Tags: , , , , , , , ,

|

Loading...
Related....
Videos...

Recent Health Articles

Comments

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Loading

Site Navigation:

Copyright 2005-2011 ArticleSnatch, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service.