Teenage Tangle

Adolescence is a stage of life when teenagers go through a period of uncertainty and confusion. Everything seems in a state of flux-their moods, their bodies, and their relationships with family and friends.Most teenagers emerge unscathed but there are others who just cannot cope and they fall into a depression.

Any disturbance small or big,will have so much of impact on them. They neither like to talk about it nor bear or face it silently. They start showing their depression in various forms and feeling. And parents get confused as to,what the hell is happening with their child.Parents should be vigilant and find out if their child's behaviour is just a teenage tantrum or is he/she reeling under depression. Now how wil they know it? Here are some of the symptoms  which can tell you if your child is in Depression

1)Defeatist attitude:

Depressed teenagers feel that they are destined to fail at anything that they attempt. They take failure personally seeing it as being directly related to their personalities rather than to anything they might have done. For instance, if they are snubbed at a party by an acquaintance, they will assume that it is because they are boring and not worth knowing. A normal teenager would just shrug it off and move on to the next person. As a result of this defeatist attitude, depressed teenagers rarely make the effort to do anything because they believe that they will fail anyway.

2) Uncomfortable sharing personal information:

Teenagers afflicted with depression are uncomfortable talking about themselves because they think that the listener will judge them and find them wanting in every way. They do not want to open themselves up to any possible disapproval or criticism, which they take for granted as being forthcoming.

3)Impulsive behaviour:

Teenagers affected by depression also tend to act on impulse. They feel that since they have no control over their circumstances and cannot seem to find a solution to any of their problems, they should do something and then forget about it.

4) Socially withdrawn:

A depressed teenager is often withdrawn and antisocial because he feels a sense of low self esteem and that nobody would want him/her around. They feel that they have nothing of interest to say and does not have the necessary social skills to make them well-liked. They will avoid volunteering for any group activities assuming that he will be a burden and that he has nothing of value to contribute.

If parents are busy in their own lives and tend to over look these symptoms, those teenager’s life will go from bad to worst. And there will be an irreparable damage to their self worth, which in turn lead to horrific consequences. So Parents spare some time for your kids, be with them and help them over come depression

--Pushpa