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Depression
Think about a time when you felt “down” or “blue” in your life. Maybe it was when you were a teenager and everything felt new and confusing, or maybe it was following the loss of a friendship or pet. There was likely an identifiable reason “why” and your normal coping strategies helped you feel better. Occasionally experiencing low moods is normal and part of what makes us human.
However, for kids and teens with Clinical Depression a heavy feeling is there almost everyday, and they are not able to identify a reason for the feelings. It can seem like they are viewing the world through gray-colored glasses and become disengaged with the world around them. As a parent, it can be difficult to watch your child retreat to their inner world without knowing how to help them. When dealing with Clinical Depression you often need external support, like therapy or medication, to help.
However, for kids and teens with Clinical Depression a heavy feeling is there almost everyday, and they are not able to identify a reason for the feelings. It can seem like they are viewing the world through gray-colored glasses and become disengaged with the world around them. As a parent, it can be difficult to watch your child retreat to their inner world without knowing how to help them. When dealing with Clinical Depression you often need external support, like therapy or medication, to help.
- For parents of teens, it can be difficult to distinguish between expected teenage sadness and irritability and what might be a deeper, underlying concern. When individuals report feelings of being constantly down, exhausted, short tempered, and disinterested in things they usually enjoy for more days than not during an average week, therapists usually look into if this person is experiencing a Major Depressive Episode, part of a larger diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or commonly known as Clinical Depression.
- A major depressive episode extends past the “moodiness” people associate with teenagers. You might notice heightened frustration with adults, arguments with siblings/friends, sleeping more than usual, or no longer finding activities they used to enjoy. If your teenager is consistently experiencing low moods, expressing feelings of hopelessness/despair, and are missing out on typical engagements (school, sports, etc.), they might be experiencing Clinical Depression.
MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD)
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SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD)
- Nearly everyone experiences a “dip” in mood during the winter months. This can often look like feeling sleepy, wanting to stay inside the house more, general sadness, and feeling less social than normal. However, sometimes these symptoms are more severe than feeling down every once in a while. Some people experience a pattern where every winter there is a notable slump in moods that mimics criteria for Depression (see info above on Depression), but then symptoms naturally seem to resolve during the Spring/Summer months.
- When these symptoms become problematic and interfere with daily functioning like hygiene, going to school, attending extracurriculars, it could be Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). For a more in-depth discussion of SAD, please see our blog post titled “When the Days Grow Dark: A Guide to Understanding SAD”.
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More info coming soon!
- For females, if there is a pattern of low or dysregulated mood being exacerbated during the week(s) leading up to the beginning of the menstrual cycle, it could be a condition called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. Therapists at Ballard Clinic can assist with psychoeducation around PMDD as well as coping strategies to help alleviate the distressing symptoms.
