Lately, you have felt worried about your teen. They don’t seem to have the same energy or motivation that they used to. Due to getting older, they are naturally drifting away from you. They may be more involved with themselves or friends, and not so much family.
You love and care for your teen; and you can sense something is up. They don’t have the same spark in their eyes anymore, or their big toothy smile. There is a lack of engagement in hobbies or activities they used to enjoy. It appears that they only want to spend time on their phones or outside of the house.
Your teen may exhibit signs of isolation, loss of interest, lack of motivation, and more. It’s possible they may be engaging in forms of self harm through self injurious behavior or engaging in substance abuse. Although this can be scary and cause for worry, try to level and understand what your teen is going through.
As parents, we are unsure how our teens are feeling sometimes. Unfortunately, they may have a tendency to shut us out or be dismissive of us when we approach them. It’s important not to take this personally, as teenagers normally experience teenage angst. In today’s world, social media have a major influence on teens for appearance, social status, and overall being a big outlet to compare oneself to.
Make sure you are hugging your teen and reminding them that you love and care for them on a regular basis. Although it is hard to understand, you know your teen doesn’t want to be feeling down either.
Teen therapists in Simi Valley, Ca, can provide teens and their families with the support they need with depression.
3 Signs of Depression in Teens: Loss of interest
Perhaps your teen used to be more into some kind of game or activity. Nowadays, it appears that they have lost interest in that. They used to be so excited and motivated to play in sports, but now the thought of going to practice everyday or playing with a team is unattractive.
They may have had some sort of favorite movie, musical, or TV show that they always raved about and loved so much. However now, it seems that they couldn’t care less about it – maybe they even appear irritable if it gets brought up.
Overall, they have a loss of interest in a lot of things. Maybe they used to play soccer or softball and now view it as something uninteresting. Although it’s normal to grow out of certain interests or hobbies as they age, the loss of interest may come along randomly and without reason.
This isn’t to encourage them to continue engaging in what they once used to enjoy, but to acknowledge that they aren’t interested anymore. See what they may be interested in now, as they mature, they will find interest in new things and leave old things behind. However, if they were super excited about something and suddenly dropped it, that could be a sign of loss of interest from depression.
Click here to read 4 things you should know about teen depression!
Teen therapy in Simi Valley, Ca, can provide a safe space for your teen to express themselves.
3 Signs of Depression in Teens: Lack of motivation
A lack of motivation could apply to a number of things: school, personal relationships, personal hygiene, engaging in hobbies, and more. Your teen has been showing a lack of motivation to complete homework assignments or study for an exam, in response you call them lazy.
It can actually be harmful to assume your teen is being lazy or dramatic when they are experiencing a lack of motivation. They are most likely aware of their deficit, and therefore can feel more insecure or even less motivated when called out for it.
Having a lack of motivation can be a big struggle for them, and it can be for you as well as their parents! You want to see your teen strive for greatness and give life their all. It hurts you to see if your teen is falling behind in class or doing poorly in school.
Click here to read starter sentences to help your teen open up!
Teen therapists in Simi Valley, Ca, can support your teen in talking about their depression.
3 Signs of Depression in Teens: Isolation
If your teen is isolating in their rooms constantly, they may be struggling with something that is overwhelming or difficult to talk about. It’s possible that your teen may be feeling socially isolated. This is defined as feeling like an outcast or feeling like they lost their sense of self worth.
Teenage isolation can inevitably lead to teens feeling even more lonely as they are not reaching out and connecting with others around them. They may excessively use electronics or technology to distract themselves from what’s going on around them.
Negative impacts of teen isolation include less restorative sleep, increased reactive stress response, risk of substance abuse, a greater risk of suicide, poor self care, and a diminished negative outlook on life.
If you notice your teen shuffling away to their dark room throughout the day and nights, consider sitting down to understand what they are currently experiencing. As their parents, it’s important to show them care and grace when inquiring about depression. Making them feel ashamed of themselves is likely to make them retract and isolate even further.
Teen therapy for depression in Simi Valley, Ca, involves the family as a whole. Click here to read about how parents are involved in teen therapy.
Among other predictors, these three signs may become apparent in a teenager struggling with depression. It’s important to listen to them, validate them, and find ways to support them. Spend time connecting with them and showing that you care to ensure that proper support is established.
Connect with a therapist or psychologist to understand more about teen depression and how you and the whole family can work together to create real change.
About Simi Psychological Group: We are a team of psychologists and therapists in Simi Valley, Ca offering an array of therapy services.
At our therapy practice in Simi Valley, Ca we offer Child therapy and family counseling, Teen therapy, Anxiety Treatment, Depression Therapy, Marriage Counseling, and Neuropsychological Testing. Now Offering Online Therapy in Los Angeles and Online Counseling Ventura County
Read about helping your teen with social anxiety!
Dr. Novak is the group practice owner and licensed psychologist at Simi Psychological Group a therapy practice in Simi Valley, California. Simi Psychological Group offers a variety of services including trauma therapy, couples therapy, anxiety therapy, teen therapy, and more. Simi Psychological Group emphasizes the importance of creating real change by making sure to get to the root of your struggles.
