Tips For Helping A Teen Who Is Suffering From Depression

If you have a teen in your life who is suffering from depression, you might be very worried about him or her. Being a teenager can be a trying time because your hormones are going crazy and cause you to experience any emotion more strongly. To make matters worse, when you are in this emotionally heightened state, you are going through a series of changes both bodily and socially that can trigger emotional responses. This can make teenagers more vulnerable to depression. If you have a teen who is depressed, here are some tips for helping him or her deal with it.

1. Make Sure Your Teen Has An Adult That He or She Can Talk To

If you are the parent of a teen, you likely know that your child is not going to always want to open up to you. He or she might not trust you or might be suffering angst from some mild punishment you might have doled out for not doing his or her homework on time. However, that doesn't mean that your teen doesn't have other adults that he or she is close to. If you know that your teen is talking to a school counselor or favorite teacher, ask your teen's permission to reach out to that person and tell him or her about your teen's depression. This will make that person better equipped to watch for warning signs.

If your teen doesn't have any other adult in his or her life that you know of, consider therapy. Talk to your teen about therapy first. You might have to force your child to go to therapy in the beginning, but do everything you can to involve your teen in the planning process so that he or she accepts it more easily.

2. Keep Your Teen Active in Supervised Activities

Next, make sure that your teen is active in supervised activities. Send your teen to study groups. Get your teen involved in playing an instrument or participating the school musical. Have your teen play sports. See what your child is interested in and then provide the transportation and financial support to get him or her involved. This can show that you are taking an interest in your teen's life, making him or her open up to you more. It can also help your teen remain active, rather than ruminate on negative thoughts that could turn suicidal.

For more information, talk to a therapeutic school that specializes in helping teenagers who are depressed.