TeenHealthFX - Answers - Signs and Symptoms of Depression

Depression / Question
Published: March 12, 2008

Dear TeenHealthFX,

please I need HELP. actually I don't, my freind does. He used to be pretty fat and now hes stopped eating, and im not sure if hes depressed or not, so I went on the site and looked through the depression section, and i couldent find anything that explained the sighns of depression. It'd be a huge help if you posted that cause then I could figure out if he most likly is or not and I can help him. sighned: what are the sighns of depresion

Signed: Signs and Symptoms of Depression

Dear Signs and Symptoms of Depression,

If you are concerned about your friend’s eating habits or mood, FX suggests that you speak to your friend about your concerns and encourage him to seek professional medical and psychological help with these issues. If he refuses, FX recommends that you speak to a trusted adult about your concerns so that an adult can intervene with your friend and ensure that he gets the help he needs to protect his physical and emotional well-being.

Here is the information you requested on adolescent depression, including signs and symptoms, who is a risk, and where people can go for help if they are depressed and/or suicidal:

Signs and Symptoms of Depression:

Depressed and/or irritable mood
Frequent crying and feeling sad – sometimes for no apparent reason
You feel guilty for no real reason
You’ve lost your confidence or feel negatively about yourself
You often have a negative attitude towards things
It often seems like you have no feelings – that you are indifferent to things
You no longer feel like doing things you used to find pleasurable
You tend to isolate and want to be alone
It’s hard to make up your mind, to concentrate, and to remember things
You get irritated often; little things make you lose your temper and you often overreact
Your sleep patterns change – you either sleep more or have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
Your eating habits change – you lost your appetite or are eating more than usual.
Unintentional weight loss or gain
You feel restless and tired most of the time
There is a preoccupation with the self
Acting out behaviors and unusual defiance
A pattern of excessively irresponsible behavior
You think about death, feel like you’re dying, or have suicidal thoughts

* Treatment should be sought after if you experience these symptoms for a two week time period or if any of these symptoms cause significant distress or difficulty functioning.

Risk Factors for Depression:

Stressful life events, particularly the loss of a parent due to death or divorce.
Physical and/or sexual abuse
Unstable home-life; negligent or emotionally abusive caregivers
Poor social skills; difficulties forming and maintaining peer relationships
Chronic illness
Family history of depression
Eating disorders, particularly bulimia

Other Facts on Teenage Depression:

Depression can be a temporary response to many situations and stresses. In adolescents, depressed mood is common because of the normal maturation process, the stress associated with it, the influence of sex hormones, and independence conflicts with parents.
It may also be a reaction to a disturbing event, such as the death of a friend or relative, a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or failure at school. Adolescents who have low self-esteem, are highly self-critical, and who feel little sense of control over negative events are particularly at risk to become depressed when they experience stressful events.
True depression in teens is often difficult to diagnose because normal adolescent behavior is marked by both up and down moods. These moods may alternate over a period of hours or days.
Persistent depressed mood, faltering school performance, failing relations with family and friends, substance abuse, and other negative behaviors may indicate a serious depressive episode. These symptoms may be easy to recognize, but depression in adolescents often starts very differently than these classic symptoms.
Excessive sleeping, change in eating habits, even criminal behavior (like shoplifting) may be signs of depression. Another common symptom of adolescent depression is an obsession with death, which may take the form either of suicidal thoughts or of fears about death and dying.
Adolescent girls are twice as likely as boys to experience depression.

Seeking Help:

If you live in northern New Jersey and need help finding a therapist you can call the Access Center from Atlantic Behavioral Health at 973-247-1400. Outside of this area you can log onto the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website for referrals in your area. You can also contact your insurance company to get a list of in-network mental health providers.

If you get to the point that you are seriously considering suicide or are afraid of your impulses then you need to seek help immediately. You can call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room. In northern New Jersey you can also call the crisis hotline from Morristown Memorial hospital at 973-540-0100. Outside this area call the Suicide & Crisis Hotline, 1-800-999-9999, 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Signed: TeenHealthFX