Sadness, tearfulness, irritability, withdrawal, low self-esteem, lowered grades are signs that your child may be struggling with depression. Though depressed mood is common in adolescence, for many it is periodic and short-term, triggered by a bad experience, a loss, or a breakup. For others, though, it persists and can eventually lead to negative thoughts, chronic feelings of hopelessness, urges to self-harm, and thoughts of suicide. Children and teens, relatively new to these kinds of strong emotions, often lack the skills to find their way out of these dark feelings alone. Sometimes depression persists into young adulthood, making it difficult to create an independent and fulfilling life. Help and understanding from friends, siblings, parents, and even teachers can make a big difference.
If you feel your child or teen might be struggling with depression and your best efforts have not helped to lessen the symptoms, support and guidance might be helpful. I can help to address not only the challenging symptoms of depression, but I can help young people identify and address the possible underlying issues and support them in experimenting with new ways of thinking or new ways of doing things. It is possible to move out of depression.
