7 Red Flags To Watch & Should Never Ignore in Your Adolescent

May I have your attention

Red flags, signs are like alerts  as a concept have been trending lately on social media. When it comes to mental health, noticing them early can be the difference between long-term suffering and treatment leading to better outcomes. So, as the adults in your teen’s life, it’s important to pay attention to them and act if you see red flags sign of depression.

Red flags 

Moreover, and with this intention before we get into some of these red flags. I should note that none of these signs by itself is absolute proof of depression. The symptoms your adolescence seems to be struggling with typically have to last for at least two weeks for them to be definitive evidence of depression.

Red Flags sign

To put it differently, the body and mind go through tons of changes all the time, and that goes double for the ever-changing landscape of the adolescent’s life. That said, let’s look into some of the red flags of depression. For examples, red flags in a relationship we as adults most of the time know its time to leave. But for a child going through hormonal as well as emotional changes. Important to realize they may not be able to see the warning signs. And that is why it’s important for parents to listen if teacher note difference in your youth behavior.

Red flags

Increased irritability and moodiness is a red flag big one. Anger and depression are related in ways that might not make sense at first glance but think of it this way: When someone is depressed, they often feel powerless over their own minds, much less the world around them. They may lash out in an attempt to gain some sense of control over their lives.

Red flags sign

One of the biggest red flags sign. The first thing to remember your teenager  may seem okay one moment, then sad or angry the next. A lot is happening in the depressed brain, and it can be hard to keep it all in. People with depression are notorious for their negativity

Red flags

What is an example of a red flag sign? Here are some.

• People with depression are notorious for their negativity. They may say things about themselves or the state of the world like, “I’m so stupid,” “There’s no way I’ll be good enough.” Depression makes them actually believe these things and they might even let it slip out sometimes.
• Lack of focus and poor memory are signs of many mental health conditions, including depression. As such, many things that are easy for others can be hard for people with depression. They may find it harder to focus on homework than they have before, for example. This can make the sadness and frustration they feel get even worse.
• Depression can also cause changes in sleep patterns. You might find that your teen sleeps a lot more than they used to. Or maybe they find it hard to get to sleep at night at all. This is what makes diagnosing depression somewhat complicated: symptoms can be on opposite ends of the spectrum depending on the person and can even change within a person as time goes on.
• Likewise, depression can change eating habits. Some people use eating as a way of soothing, self-medicating their depression, while others lack the motivation to eat at all.
• This leads us to the inability to enjoy themself. People with depression often shy away from hanging out with friends or doing things that they used to love to do. They just don’t get joy from doing them anymore. Maybe they have stopped playing a video game as much or watching their favorite shows.
• And, finally, complaints of aches and pains. Yes, though depression is a mental health condition, it can manifest itself with physical symptoms like inexplicable pains. Some people even experience dizziness and the like.

Of course, the above is not an exhaustive list. Depression is a complicated and diverse mental illness, after all. Still, these provide a good starting point for identifying that something is off with your teen.

Your relationship with your child is important.  As a matter of fact, We as a working parent maybe going through our own feelings of guilt. Because we are not always there to protect our children. However, trust If you suspect your teen might have depression, or school reports to your response immediately.Seek a medical and/or (preferably) mental health professional for help. There are various ways depression can be treated, and the professional can guide you and your teen towards the best choice for them.