Teenage is a difficult phase in life and has to be handled with extreme care. Studies show how teenage depression is quite common today and how most kids become a victim of this disease from the early age of 12 or 14.
Depression is a serious mental illness that spares no one. Left untreated, it could lead to serious consequences including self-harming, violence, and suicide. Teen depression is quite dangerous, given how the victims are already going through a very confusing phase in their lives when they hit puberty. Here are 9 causes and reasons that can trigger depression in your teen.
1. Unhappy Family Life
A disturbed teenage could be the result of an unhappy childhood. Kids are deeply scarred every time their parents fight, and often blame themselves when they split up. With divorce rates shooting up, and single parents trying to play both the roles, children find it difficult to cope with all the changes that come about when their family breaks up.
2. Mental, Physical, Or Sexual Abuse
Many teens who slip into depression will have a history of abuse. It could be mental, physical, or sexual. It could be from a stranger, a relative, a teacher, a friend, or even parents. Abuse of any kind can deeply traumatize teens (or anyone for that matter) and scar them for life.
3. Peer Pressure
A major factor that causes teen depression is pressure from other teens. Your child could be getting bullied in school or shamed for being different from others. Teenage is a time when most people yearn to belong, and make fun of the ones who swim against the tide. Your child could also be suffering because of being part of a group if he/she is being forced to do stuff just to be part of a crowd.
4. Physical And Emotional Changes
Teenage is a time your child goes through numerous emotional and physical developments. The sudden shift in their appearances, desires, and thought processes can deeply disturb many kids. Left unnoticed, this could lead to a very confused and possibly depressed teen.
5. Difficulty In Academics
Another reason your young adult is in pain could be the fact that they are unable to cope with their studies. The sudden shift from elementary school to high school may affect the academic skills of many students. Failing a subject, or not being able to concentrate due to other personal reasons would make your teen feel helpless and discouraged.
6. Failed Romances
Romantic relationships become more crucial when one becomes a teen. A crush who does not reciprocate their feelings, a date that goes terribly wrong, a cheating lover, are all factors that could deeply wound your child, and drive them towards depression.
7. Neglect
Sometimes children with happy parents too go through depression because their parents are too preoccupied with their lives to pay attention to what’s going on with their kids. If you can’t remember the last time you had a proper conversation with your child, chances are that your are being negligent. This goes for the divorced and single parents too.
8. Death Of A Loved One
A near one’s death can shake anyone up, especially children and teenagers. If your child has had to deal with the loss of someone they loved deeply, chances are they are scared and sad. Most teens tend to isolate themselves and lock in all their emotions when such situations arise. These pent up feelings would build up over time, nagging your child constantly, preventing them from being happy.
9. Family History
Your genes play a crucial role in shaping your child’s future. If you or anyone in your family has a history of depression, your child is at a heightened risk of suffering from this mental illness compared to other kids.
