Skip to main content
BlogCommunity

Holiday Alert: Signs of Depression & Suicide

By December 8, 2016May 15th, 2020No Comments

Most people love the holidays and look forward to spending time with family and friends. I enjoy the holidays, too, but the stress of parties, traveling and preparing for events, can leave me feeling drained and down. I’m also painfully aware that the anniversary of a friend’s death and the suicide of another friend’s daughter is right around the corner.

During the busy holiday season, it can be easy to miss signs that a teen may be struggling with depression and/or thoughts of suicide. It isn’t always easy to differentiate between depression and normal teenage growing pains. But teen depression goes beyond moodiness. It’s a serious health problem that impacts every aspect of a teen’s life. Fortunately, it’s treatable and an adult’s support can go a long way toward getting your teenager back on track.

angry teen girl

What You Can Do:

  1. Watch for red flags, including irritability and anger
  2. Set aside quality time each day to talk face-to-face
  3. Focus on listening, not lecturing
  4. Encourage teens to spend time with friends
  5. Make sure he or she is getting plenty of sleep and exercise

Unlike adults, who have the ability to seek assistance on their own, teenagers rely on parents, teachers or other caregivers to recognize their suffering and get them the help they need. So, it’s important to learn what teen depression looks like and what to do if you spot the warning signs.

While it might seem that recognizing depression is easy, the signs aren’t always obvious. For one, teens with depression don’t necessarily appear sad. Irritability, anger and agitation may be the most prominent symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression in Teens

  1. Sadness or hopelessness
  2. Irritability, anger or hostility
  3. Tearfulness or frequent crying
  4. Withdrawal from friends and family
  5. Loss of interest in activities
  6. Poor school performance
  7. Changes in eating and sleeping habits
  1. Restlessness and agitation
  2. Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
  3. Lack of enthusiasm and motivation
  4. Fatigue or lack of energy
  5. Difficulty concentrating
  6. Unexplained aches and pains
  7. Thoughts of death or suicide

Is It Depression or Teenage Growing Pains?

A certain amount of moodiness and acting out is par for the course with teens. But persistent changes in personality, mood or behavior are red flags of a deeper problem. If you’re unsure if your child is depressed or just “being a teenager,” consider how long the symptoms have been going on, how severe they are and how different your child is acting from his or her usual self. Hormones and stress can explain the occasional bout of teenage angst—but not continuous and unrelenting unhappiness lethargy, or irritability.

Suicide in Teenagers

Seriously depressed teens often think about, speak of or make “attention-getting” attempts at suicide. But an alarming and increasing number of teenage suicide attempts are successful, so suicidal thoughts or behaviors should always be taken very seriously.

For the overwhelming majority of suicidal teens, depression or another psychological disorder plays a primary role. In depressed teens who also abuse alcohol or drugs, the risk of suicide is even greater. Because of the very real danger of suicide, teenagers who are depressed should be watched closely for any signs of suicidal thoughts or behavior.

Suicide Warning Signs

  1. Talking or joking about committing suicide
  2. Saying things like, “I’d be better off dead,” “I wish I could disappear forever,” or “There’s no way out.”
  3. Speaking positively about death or romanticizing dying (“If I died, people might love me more”)
  4. Writing stories and poems about death, dying or suicide
  5. Engaging in reckless behavior or having a lot of accidents resulting in injury
  6. Giving away prized possessions
  7. Saying goodbye to friends and family as if for the last time
  8. Seeking out weapons, pills or other ways to kill themselves

Get Help for a Suicidal Teen

If you suspect that a teenager you know is suicidal, take immediate action! For 24-hour suicide prevention and support in the U.S., call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is available to everyone. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential.

Don’t Ignore the Problem

Depression is very damaging when left untreated, so don’t wait and hope that worrisome symptoms will go away. If you suspect that your child is depressed, bring up your concerns in a loving, non-judgmental way. Even if you’re unsure that depression is the issue, the troublesome behaviors and emotions you’re seeing are signs of a problem that should be addressed.

Open up a dialogue by letting your teen know what specific signs of depression you’ve noticed and why they worry you. Then ask your child to share what he or she is going through—and be ready and willing to truly listen. Hold back from asking a lot of questions (teenagers don’t like to feel patronized or crowded), but make it clear that you’re ready and willing to provide whatever support they need.

Tips for Communicating with a Depressed Teen

Focus on listening, not lecturing. Resist any urge to criticize or pass judgment once your teenager begins to talk. The important thing is that your child is communicating. You’ll do the most good by simply letting your teen know that you’re there for them, fully and unconditionally.

Be gentle but persistent. Don’t give up if they shut you out at first. Talking about depression can be very tough for teens. Even if they want to, they may have a hard time expressing what they’re feeling. Be respectful of your child’s comfort level while still emphasizing your concern and willingness to listen.

Acknowledge their feelings. Don’t try to talk your teen out of depression, even if their feelings or concerns appear silly or irrational to you. Well-meaning attempts to explain why “things aren’t that bad” will just come across as if you don’t take their emotions seriously. To make them feel understood and supported, simply acknowledging the pain and sadness they are experiencing can go a long way in making them feel understood and supported.

Trust your gut. If your teen claims nothing is wrong but has no explanation for what is causing the depressed behavior, you should trust your instincts. If your teen won’t open up to you, consider turning to a trusted third party: a school counselor, favorite teacher or mental health professional. The important thing is to get them talking to someone.

*Information courtesy of www.helpguide.org. Learn more at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention/index.shtml.

Andrea Berryman Childreth

Author Andrea Berryman Childreth

Andrea Berryman Childreth is an award-winning author of the book, ON THE EDGE: Help and hope for parenting children with mental illness, founder of The Lemonade Project, advocate and parent coach. She has first-hand experience with parenting a mentally ill daughter and has struggled with mental illness, herself. Her goal is to help empower people to openly share their stories and improve access to equitable mental health services.

More posts by Andrea Berryman Childreth