Warning Signs
YOU KNOW YOUR CHILD THE BEST. WATCH FOR THESE CHANGES:
- Is he/she more moody than usual? Are they sad most of the time?
- Do they say that they are worthless or a loser?
- Have you noticed a difference in their eating? Either more or less
- How about their appearance? Do they care how they look?
- Have you noticed any self hurting…cutting, unexplained marks?
- Do they overreact to situations? Or seem angry a lot?
- Are they sleeping lots? Maybe very little?
- Do you notice excessive fidgeting? Anxiousness?
- Are they withdrawing from friends and activities?
- Have they been complaining of a physical pain that medication doesn’t seem to help?
- Have you heard your teen talk about suicide, or notice they are giving away their possessions?
If you have said yes to several of these signs, you will want to seek some outside help.
If you believe your child is in immediate danger you can either call 911 or if your child will go with you, go to the Emergency Room of a hospital and explain that you feel like your child is a danger to themselves. They will do an assessment to see if your child is at risk and determine what course of action to take.
Talk to your child if they will talk. Ask if they know why they are feeling the way they are and keep on open line of communication. Sometimes, you are the last person they will speak with so you will have to proceed with what you do know and observe.
If you don’t sense an immediate danger, but still feel like you need help, start looking for a counselor, psychiatrist or psychologist. Your regular doctor can be a great place to start to give you some referrals or ideas. School counselors are also a good source of information. If you have insurance to consider, contact them to give you a list of preferred specialists that are covered by your medical plan.
Once you find a specialist that deals specifically with teens or adolescents, you can work as a team with your teen and medical professional to diagnose if there is a problem and work together to come up with a plan of what you want to do that meets the need of your particular child and their issues. Advocate for your teen. They may be at a place where they cannot do this for themselves. Speak up. If you do not find the right match, search again. You must have someone you trust on your team to treat your child and work with your family.
Find more facts...
Depression statistics and information was found in the following:
National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH)
World Health Organization (WHO)
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education [online] National Mental Health Association,“Fact Sheet: Suicide”
depressionstats.com
teendepression.org
National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH)
World Health Organization (WHO)
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education [online] National Mental Health Association,“Fact Sheet: Suicide”
depressionstats.com
teendepression.org