Adolescent depression is extremely common and may occur in kids who won't experience it at any other point in their life.
What Happens? It's common for a lot of reasons.
For starters, adolescents experience extreme changes and variations in their hormone levels.
Swinging hormone levels can cause imbalances in a person's mental state.
Technically, the illness is a chemical mismatch in the brain.
When chemicals or hormones start to get out of order, it causes a person to feel depressed.
Since adolescents experience frequent hormonal changes, they are more prone to experiencing the feelings.
Kids are also under a lot of stress.
To an adult that doesn't have teenagers, this may seem like a funny statement.
After all, they have their entire lives ahead of them.
They have minimal responsibilities and are at a prime time in their life for fun.
Unfortunately, this is not entirely true.
Teenagers constantly experience peer pressure.
They're pressured to be thin, dress the right way and take drugs and alcohol.
Any one of these pressures are difficult for a teenager to deal with, especially drug and alcohol pressures.
Drugs and alcohol are depressants and, if a teenager chooses to take them, they can become depressed.
Another trigger is loss.
A person who experiences a death of a loved one can fall into a depression.
This trigger is not limited to teenagers.
What Should You Do? Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot you can do to control a teenager's hormones or exposure to peer pressure.
What you can do is talk to your child about peer pressure before they become a teenager.
Explain what it is and how to combat it.
Also, keep a close eye on your child.
If they have drastic mood swings or start to act completely different, they may be depressed.
If they become socially withdrawn and don't want to hang out with their friends, that may also be a sign.
Keep an open line of communication with your child.
This will help you understand how they are feeling.
If you or your child determine that they are depressed, take them to a mental health professional.
You can start with a school counselor.
A school counselor might be able to help them deal with their hormones and peer pressure.
However, if the feelings are more deep seated, you should take them to a psychiatrist.
Trained psychiatrists are best equip at dealing with adolescent depression.