Physical Health Problems
While depressed adults often talk about emotional pain, depressed teens tend to report physical aches and pains. They may report headaches, stomach problems or say they just don’t feel well. Physical exams however, won’t reveal any findings.
Irritability
Adults usually describe feeling sad when they’re depressed, but teenagers often become increasingly irritable. They may behave disrespectfully or may have less patience than usual.
They also may become defiant.
Academic Changes
Teens may experience a sharp decline in their grades when depression strikes. But, that’s not always the case. Some teens maintain a high grade point average even in the midst of emotional turmoil.
In fact, sometimes the pressure to maintain good grades becomes a factor in depression. A teen who feels the need to get accepted into an Ivy League college, or one insists a disappointing SAT score could ruin her life, may remain driven to achieve despite being depressed.
Sensitivity to Criticism
Depression can lead to an intense sensitivity to criticism. Sometimes teens deal with this increased sensitivity by avoiding activities where they fear failure . A teen may refuse to try out for the soccer team or may refuse to invite a date to a dance in an attempt to avoid rejection.
At other times, teens may deal with this fear by becoming an overachiever. A depressed teen may become a perfectionist in an attempt to avoid the risk of being rejected.
It’s important to monitor how your teen responds to risk, criticism and failure as changes in your teen’s behavior could signal your teen is depressed.
Social Withdrawal
Social isolation is a common problem for everyone with depression, but teens don’t necessarily withdraw from everyone when they become depressed. Sometimes they simply change peer groups. A teen may stop talking to certain friends or family members.
At other times, teens withdraw from real-life activities and focus their attention on the online world when they’re feeling depressed. A depressed teen may create an online persona and may engage in online chats or play role playing games for hours on end to escape the realities of life.
Why Teens Experience Mood Swings?
Mood swings during adolescence are partially due to biology. Hormonal shifts that occur during puberty play a major role in the way teens think and feel. As teens mature, they commonly experience increased irritability, intense sadness, and frequent frustration due to the chemical changes occurring inside their brains.
Teens’ quests to establish their own identities also plays a role in their moods. It’s healthy for teens to gain independence and to establish their own beliefs, goals, and guidelines, which are separate from their parents