Article: Irritability is one of the most common signs of teen depression. This can be a general ‘cranky’ mood that can also come with mood swings that lead her into sadness. She might ‘snap’ at you more often than usual and may seem generally unhappy. She may also suddenly spiral into deep sadness, or cry often out of both annoyance and sadness. For instance, if your teen is normally happy and pleasant, but has suddenly become moody or unreasonably angry or sad about a lot of things, she could be depressed. Another sign of depression is a sudden lack of interest in activities and things that she used to have a passion for. While this could also mean that she is just outgrowing a certain activity, losing interest in many activities that she has shown a great love for in the past should be a red flag. For example, if your daughter has had a passion for soccer for many years, but suddenly has no energy or desire to go to practice, this could be a sign of depression. If you have noticed a sudden and drastic change in your daughter’s eating habits, you should keep track of any further changes. Monitor how much (or how little) your daughter eats while at the dinner table. Ask yourself is she:  Eating more than usual? Eating less than usual or having to be coaxed into eating? Showing a disinterest (rather than a dislike) of the food in front of her? Depression can lead to feels of exhaustion but can also lead to restlessness. If your daughter is suddenly very restless or unable to sleep at night, but seemingly always tired, you may have reason to be concerned. Changes in sleep can include:  Extreme trouble waking up in the morning. Exhaustion throughout the day. Sleeping much more than usual, such as sleeping pretty much any time she does not absolutely have to be awake. Excessive sleeping is defined as anything over 9 hours a day. Physical agitation is when a person has a hard time staying still. If your teen is pacing a lot, shaking her arms or legs, or simply being unable to sit down, she is exhibiting signs of physical agitation. Some people with depression will show the exact opposite of physical agitation—they will move much more slowly than normal and will seem to be in no hurry to do anything or get anywhere. If your teen is depressed, she may begin to make negative comments about herself. At the same time, she might become overly sensitive to rejection, which can then lead to her saying more negative things about herself. Examples would be:  “I’m not good enough”. “I didn’t deserve such and such anyway”. “I am fat/ugly/stupid”. Depression can often lead to not caring about school or grades. If your normally on-top-of-it student is suddenly getting bad grades, skipping school, or just showing an extreme disinterest in what she is studying, she may be depressed. Contact your teen’s teacher(s) about your teen’s grade or school performance. Teachers can often be an invaluable source of behavioral information. Ask them about any concerning behavior that they may have seen your teen exhibiting in the classroom. Depression can lead to physical pain like headaches and stomach aches. Take your teen to a doctor to get checked out. If nothing seems to be physically wrong with her, you may want to consider depression as a cause of the problem. You should call the police or hospital (9-1-1) right away if your teen is acting in this way, as she could be considering dying by suicide. Other signs of suicidal behavior include:  Writing about death, including writing a will. Giving away possessions. Talking about how you, your family, and the world would be better off without her. Dangerous or self-harming behavior like increased drug or alcohol abuse, or reckless driving. Threatening suicide. Between 50% to 75% of people considering suicide will give a family member or friend some warning that they will take their life. While some people won’t go through with it, every suicide threat should be taken seriously.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Watch for signs of irritability that last for longer than two weeks. Ask her about the activities she normally enjoys. Monitor your teen’s eating habits. Keep track of your daughter’s sleeping habits. Look for signs of physical agitation. Listen for any vocalization of self-loathing. Monitor your teen’s grades and performance in school. Take note if your daughter often complains about physical pain. Seek professional help immediately if your teen is showing signs of being suicidal.