Teen Depression (Part 3)

Symptoms of teen depression (a continuation)

5. Feeling of emptiness or hopelessness; 6. Loss of interest or conflict with family and friends; 7. Low self-esteem; 8. Feeling of guilt or worthlessness; 9. Exaggerated self-blame or self-criticism and fixation on past failures; 10. Need of excessive reassurance. Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure; 11. Difficulty in concentration. Inability to carry out a task or assignment or school project. Troubled or defective thinking and reasoning. Inability to remember things or forgetfulness. Difficulty in decision-making nearly on a day-in-day-out episode or nearly every day; and 12. Sense or notion that life and the future are gloomy and harsh and miserable.

Teenagers with depression exhibit the following behavioral changes

1. Unexplained tiredness and loss of energy; 2. Inability to sleep or too much sleeping; 3. Changes in appetite. Watch out for extremes. Excessive cravings for food. Decrease in appetite. Excessive or abrupt weight loss. Unwarranted or unnecessary weight gain; 4. Use of alcohol or drugs; 5. Inability to sit still. Restlessness. Nervous hand movements. Sweating and sweaty hands; 6. Slowed speaking, walking or body movements; 7. Frequent complaints of body aches, headaches, or frequent visits to the school clinic or to the school nurse; 8. Isolation. Avoiding interactions. Avoiding group work and assignments. Inability to blend in. Avoiding social gatherings, school activities, and school organizations; 9. Frequent absences in school, poor school performance, and the inability to identify or follow school rules; 10. Poor personal hygiene; 11. Anger or emotional outbursts and the inability to handle emotions. Tantrums. Risky behavior and other acting-out behaviors; 12. Self-harm. Cutting, burning, body piercing. Tattoo; and 13. Making a suicide plan or suicide attempt or recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation.

Presence of any five or more of the above symptoms and behavioral changes during a period of two (2) weeks and at least the presence of depressed mood and loss of interest nails down the diagnosis.

(To be continued)