teenage depression problems

Hi, I have a teenage daughter. When she was younger, my sister used to complain about the problems she was having with her teenage son. I always believed this is not going to happen to me because I have a perfect daughter. Now, I realize how wrong I was to think that. My daughter has changed so much in such short time. She stopped paying attention to her personal hygiene, her grades are worse than ever and she doesn't talk to anyone in the house. And it seems she has no interest in seeing her friends either. I think my teenage daughter is having depression problems. I am very worried about her mental health. Is there anything I can do to help her with her depression?

Hi, the symptoms you have noticed in your daughter's behavior are definitely consistent with teenage depression. Teenagers go through a lot of physical and mental changes during those years. It can sometimes be an overwhelming experience that a child could find hard to deal with. The best thing you can do to help your daughter is to show compassion. You shouldn't be judgmental towards her behavior. Try to show your willingness to listen. Most importantly, be reachable at any moment. If your child realizes she can rely on you, she will try to talk to you about her feelings. Once she begins to open up you could try to involve her in some kind of activities to help her overcome her problems. Go shopping or to a movie together. Have nice family dinners. If her depression persists for some time do not hesitate to seek professional help. Teenage depression is a serious condition that can lead to substance abuse and, in the worst cases suicide, if it is not treated. So if you see you cannot deal with this situation on your own, please talk to a psychiatrist about your daughter and the course of treatment that would be best for her. I hope everything works out all right.

This post was very helpful. My daughter is 17 years old and has meltdowns when she gains weight. She is not overweight but she wants to be a certain weight for an upcoming performance in December. I am not sure though that this will end after the performance. She is under care for depression. It is just hard to watch her go through these meltdowns. She does not eat during the school days and she says she binges at night and on the weekends. Any suggestions?

I was having that same trouble with my son at the age og 16, he;s now 17 and finally has friends. When he was all depressed it was cause he didnt hang out with anyone he was a loner. Try to bust her self asteem and complamint her alot. Let her now you notice her and try not to yell at her. It broke my heart to see my son that way. Sometimes they just need to show that we love them. Good luck.