Teen Depression Warning: It Often Goes Unnoticed!

Madison, a 17 y.o. in Raleigh, N.C., realized it wasn't your typical moodswings - it was teen depression.

"For weeks at a time I'd feel so sad that I would wish that something bad would happen to me, like getting hit by a car, so I wouldn't have to deal with my life anymore".

"I was usually very outgoing but eventually I simply wanted to just shut myself in my room and avoid everyone. I didn't have any interest in all the things I used to love".

Does any of this sound familiar? Teenage depression is very common, effecting over 2 million each year and 5,000 of them leading to suicide. The sad thing is that there are treatments for depression, even for teenage depression. The trick is learning to recognize depression in teens and not simply write it off as typical teenage behavior.

It is important that, if the teen is depressed he/she gets treatment as soon as possible. If teenage depression is left untreated it can lead to many other things such as poor performance in school, alcohol/drug abuse and addiction, eating disorders, self inflicted wounds, violent behavior, and of course suicide.

First and foremost, its important to talk to your family doctor and/or a mental health specialist and weigh out all your options. Teenage depression is treatable and there are many treatment options available.

While there are many different kinds of therapy such as cognitive behavioral, rational emotive, etc. studies have found both talk and group therapy to be very effective in teens. In addition, many times teen depression is impacted by the family dynamics so family therapy is highly recommended as well.

When considering therapy, interview the mental health professionals to make sure they are a good match. In many cases, teens respond to someone of the same gender, for instance. And, of course, choose someone with a background dealing with teen depression.

Another route to consider are family services offered in your community such as support groups and courses.

Depression medications for teens is a controversial subject. Most antidepressants were tested on adults because teenagers are still developing their brains. As a result, it is not typically recommended that a teenager go on medications unless its absolutely necessary. Instead treat it with therapy first as it is very effective.

Also, antidepressant medications may actually make the symptoms worse in a teen. Instead of feeling better, teens may feel more violent, have more suicidal thoughts and are more irritable that before they started the meds.

Teen depression is at an all time high because it is often misdiagnosed or written off as "typical teenage behavior". As a result, so many teens are going untreated when they don't have to. Learn to identify the signs of teenage depression , talk to a professional about your treatment options and put together a plan to get through it. Depression, even in, teens is very treatable, there is hope and options out there. Seek the options that are best suited for you.