Teenage depression is a condition most parents have experienced at some point or the other while growing up. Little wonder it is not surprising to find that many teenagers have fought this emotional and mental illness which makes them feel worthless to the extent of negatively affecting their daily activities. Whatever the case, it is my opinion that parents can simply help their depressed teenagers by promoting a peaceful and conducive home that will positively bolster their teenager’s depressive mood. They can do this by paying attention to the following tips provided in this article;
Spend More Time with them; it may be wise and rewarding for parents to spend more time with their depressed teen. This is because research has shown that depressed teens usually prefer to isolate themselves. They might leave the house completely or even prefer to confine themselves to their rooms. Under such circumstance, it might be best if parents spend more time with their affected teen as confinement on the teen’s part will only aggravate their depressive state. Parents can even make the atmosphere more exciting by organizing games and other collaborative activities. The goal here is to involve the depressed teen socially while also providing some sort of social support.
Take Note of Depressive Stimuli; Did I hear you say the above strategy didn’t work for your depressed teen? In that case, you might have to go further by diligently observing your teen’s sleeping and eating habits as well as medication usage as these could be prospective triggers of depressive episodes. Therefore as a parent, it might be wise that you keep records of what you observe are triggers of your teen’s depressive episodes as well as any corresponding observable behavior. The goal here is that if parents have an understanding of the underlying causes of their teen’s depression then they might be better able to promote an environment that supports positively stimulating behaviors thereby suppressing or totally preventing depressive episodes before they occur.
Make Them Stay Healthy; it is important that you encourage your depressed teen to lead a healthy and active life, characterized by regular exercises, wise choices of food as well as moderate use of drugs and alcohol. The goal here is that, staying healthy, busy or active can lead to decreased depression or totally prevent depression.
Show Them Love; don’t ever forget that your depressed teen needs all the support and care he can get. Hence, do not deny your depressed teen the support and constant love that he needs. If you have tried the strategies covered so far in this article, and your teen continues to experience or show signs of depression or teenage depression, do not hesitate to seek professional help.
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