Teenage Depression Help For Teens

What Percent Of Teens Are Depressed

According to the National Institute of Mental Health ,13.84% of teens suffered at least one major depressive episode in 2021, and that number seems to be increasing consecutively each year. Depression can afflict anyone, but symptoms often begin in ones teens and early adulthood. Current data suggests that certain teens are at higher risk of depression, such as those who:

• Already suffer from another mental health condition
• Have a history of dysfunctional family dynamics or family conflict
• Have been diagnosed with ADHD
• Suffer from low self-esteem or have undeveloped/poor coping skills

What Foods Have Vitamin D

Even if Vitamin D wonât fix your depression on its own, itâs still important to incorporate more Vitamin D into your diet if you have a deficiency.

Vitamin D is found in few foods naturally, and in relatively small amounts. The best sources include:

• Salmon and other fatty fish

Some foods are also fortified with vitamin D, meaning that more is added in. These commonly include:

• Breakfast cereals

Moreover, if youâre interested in taking a vitamin D supplement, your doctor can check your vitamin D levels and determine the proper dose you may need.

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Can Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Depression

Vitamin D deficiency is a common cause of depression. According to a 2013 study, published on the British Journal of Psychiatry, low serum vitamin D levels have been linked to depression.

Scientists analyzed vitamin D levels from more than 31,000 participants. They found that people with low vitamin D levels had significantly higher risk for developing depression.

Most noteworthy, vitamin D is involved in various brain processes. Also, vitamin D is present on neurons and in the brain. Especially in areas which are involved in the pathophysiology of depression.

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Is Depression A Mood Or Personality Disorder

Mood disorders involve consistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest in daily activities, and a fluctuation between extreme feelings of happiness and extreme feelings of sadness.

According to MentalHealth.gov, depression is one of the most common mood disorders, along with bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder.

Personality disorders involve patterns of behavior, feelings, and thinking that can interfere with someones daily life and cause problems at work, school, and personal or social relationships.

Common personality disorders include antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Vitamins For Teenagers With Depression & Anger

Teen depression is a serious and potentially life-threatening problem: 500,000 teens in America attempt suicide every year. Five thousand of them succeed. If a depressed teen seems to be at risk of hurting himself or others, caregivers should seek medical help immediately. However, medical research indicates that there are nutritional strategies that you can use to reduce the severity of teen depression and the anger that often accompanies it.

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Talk About Treatment With Your Teen

Your teenager is more likely to comply with treatment if they have a say in treatment decisions, understand what treatment is for, and know what to expect. Of course, allowing your child to plan their own treatment isn’t always practical, but letting them make a small decision can help them feel a little more in control.

For example: “You need to take your medicine every day and go to therapy once a week so you feel better. You can talk privately to your therapist about how you are feeling. Your medicine may make you feel tired or dizzy, but it should go away soon. That is why you’ll see the doctor once a month. They will ask about how the medicine is making you feel and will make sure that it is helping you.”

Create An Emergency Plan

Having an emergency plan in place can ease the minds of both you and your teen. Dayna Browne says that in a mental health emergency, a plan creates feelings of control when your teen may feel they have none. This could be as simple as calling a designated person , going for a walk, contacting a helpline, or practicing a grounding technique. Even if they never have to use the strategy you create together, knowing they have a plan in case of emergency can be comforting.

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What Are The Early Signs Of Depression In A Teenage Girl

As listed above, many of the early signs of depression in teens can be identical between boys and girls. That being said, teenage depressions early warning signs in girls may involve:

• Irritability or feeling on edge
• Easily becoming mentally fatigued
• Difficulty concentrating and remembering details
• Uncharacteristic risk-taking , which might entail acting out at school having unprotected sex, or partaking in underage drinking
• Lack of interest in family life or friendships
• Self-harming behavior

Is Vitamin D From The Sun Enough To Fight Depression

Outdoor exercise is beneficial for decreasing depression symptoms. For instance, a 20-minute outdoor walk, 5 times a week helped women with mild depression symptoms.

Above all, outdoor moderate exercise is free and without any advert effects!

But, how much vitamin D can the body synthesize after sun exposure? There are many factors that affect the synthesis of vitamin D from sun exposure, such as latitude, season, and time of the day. For instance, sun exposure is greater in spring to early fall.

We can produce up to 1,000 IU of vitamin D a day from sun exposure during summer. On the contrary, the human body can synthesize only 220 IU in winter.

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The Mixed Evidence On Vitamin D & Mood

There have been more than a few research studies that have examined the impact of vitamin D on depression and other mood disorders. Observational studies have generally found a correlation, but could not determine which way the relationship went .

For instance, one set of researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in 2013 . They looked at one case-control study, ten cross-sectional studies and three cohort studies. versus observational studies?) Our analyses are consistent with the hypothesis that low vitamin D concentration is associated with depression, but acknowledged their findings werent based on any RCTs.

Randomized-controlled trials are the gold standard in drug and supplements research. They compare the effectiveness of the drug or supplement with a sugar pill, what researchers call a placebo.

Earlier this year, a study was published that did look at the findings of RCTs in connection with depression and vitamin D. This study examined 10 randomized trials and 20 observational studies . What did the researchers find?

In 13 of the observational studies, they found a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and mood . But in the placebo-controlled, randomized trials the gold standard of drug and supplemental research they found something very different.

Recognizing The Warning Signs

Four out of five teens who attempt suicide have given clear warnings. Pay attention to these warning signs:

• Suicide threats, direct and indirect
• Obsession with death
• Overwhelming sense of guilt, shame or rejection
• Changed eating or sleeping patterns
• Severe drop in school performance

REMEMBER!!! These warning signs should be taken seriously. Obtain help immediately. Caring and support can save a young life.

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Identify The Symptoms As Soon As Possible

While difficult to diagnose, even by a professional, youll need to look out for symptoms. For depression in teens, its important to consider looking for these potential symptoms they may be experiencing:

• Loss of interest in activities

• Negative mood that is persistent

• Substance abuse

• Low-self esteem

• Increased use of electronics

• Running away or just alking about it

• Issues at school including poor attendance, poor academic performance, or difficulty concentrating

• Changes in sleep and eating patterns

• Violence, especially those who are victims of bullying.

• Aches and pains that happen for no reason

• Extremely sensitive to criticism

• Social withdrawal

These are a list of the common symptoms a teen may experience when they are dealing with depression. What makes it a challenge to diagnose is that one of the symptoms is confused with common teenage behavior. This includes negative moods.

However, if these negative moods happen more often than usual, this can be a cause for concern. So it may be a good idea to watch out for any additional symptoms that go along with it.

Tip : Try Not To Isolate Yourselfit Makes Depression Worse

Depression causes many of us to withdraw into our shells. You may not feel like seeing anybody or doing anything and some days just getting out of bed in the morning can be difficult. But isolating yourself only makes depression worse. So even if its the last thing you want to do, try to force yourself to stay social. As you get out into the world and connect with others, youll likely find yourself starting to feel better.

Spend time face-to-face with friends who make you feel goodespecially those who are active, upbeat, and understanding. Avoid hanging out with those who abuse drugs or alcohol, get you into trouble, or make you feel judged or insecure.

Get involved in activities you enjoy . Getting involved in extracurricular activities seem like a daunting prospect when youre depressed, but youll feel better if you do. Choose something youve enjoyed in the past, whether it be a sport, an art, dance or music class, or an after-school club. You might not feel motivated at first, but as you start to participate again, your mood and enthusiasm will begin to lift.

Volunteer. Doing things for others is a powerful antidepressant and happiness booster. Volunteering for a cause you believe in can help you feel reconnected to others and the world, and give you the satisfaction of knowing youre making a difference.

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How To Help A Teen With Depression

People who are experiencing depression often do not want to seek help. they might beg, get upset with you, or become violent when you suggest it. Even if your concerns are met with such resistance, seeking help is crucial. Working with a mental health professional and your family doctor is the best beginning strategy for a teen suffering from depression.

Support your teen’s daily routines, such as taking medications and eating well. Encourage healthy self-help strategies, and make sure your home is a safe, comforting place.

If your teen is diagnosed with depression, educate yourself about this condition so you can understand what your teen is going through. Be available to listen, and encourage your teen to talk about anything that’s bothering them.

Depressed Young People Have Lower Vitamin B12 And Vitamin D Levels Than Their Peers

Researchers in Turkey have studied serum folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine and 25-OH vitamin D levels in young people with and without depression. Erman Esnafoglu and Deniz Deniz Ozturan recruited 89 children with depression and 43 children without any DSM-5 disorder. They found no difference between the groups in terms of folate levels. However, vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels were significantly lower in those with depression compared to controls, while homocysteine levels were significantly higher.

Based on these results, the researchers considered that vitamin B12 and vitamin D insufficiencies, and raised homocysteine levels, might be involved in the pathogenesis of depression in children and adolescents. Although this possibility is interesting and would have important implications, a cause and effect relationship cannot be confidently concluded from these cross-sectional results alone. Going forward, further research is needed, including longitudinal studies and randomized controlled trials, to better understand these relationships, and to inform whether routine testing or vitamin replacement may be beneficial for young people with depression.

Referring to:

Esnafoglu, E. & Ozturan, D.D. ,The relationship of severity of depression with homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D levels in children and adolescents. Child Adolesc. Ment. Health. doi:10.111/camh.12387.

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Coping With Suicidal Thoughts

If your negative feelings caused by depression become so overwhelming that you cant see any solution besides harming yourself or others, you need to get help right away. Asking for help when youre in the midst of such strong emotions can be really difficult, but its vital you reach out to someone you trusta friend, family member, or teacher, for example. If you dont feel that you have anyone to talk to, or think that talking to a stranger might be easier, . Youll be able to speak in confidence to someone who understands what youre going through and can help you deal with your feelings.

Whatever your situation, it takes real courage to face death and step back from the brink. You can use that courage to help you keep going and overcome depression.

There is ALWAYS another solution, even if you cant see it right now. Many people who have survived a suicide attempt say that they did it because they mistakenly felt there was no other solution to a problem they were experiencing. At the time, they couldnt see another way out, but in truth, they didnt really want to die. Remember that no matter how badly you feel, these emotions will pass.

Having thoughts of hurting yourself or others does not make you a bad person. Depression can make you think and feel things that are out of character. No one should judge you or condemn you for these feelings if you are brave enough to talk about them.

If you’re thinking about suicide

Support For Teens And Young Adults

Some of the questions you might be asking are, Should I be freaking out about COVID-19? and Why cant I hang out with my friends in person?. You may be feeling worried, bored, or frustrated. COVID-19 is frightening, and you are not the only one feeling stressed.

While anyone can catch the virus that causes COVID-19 and people of all ages and backgrounds can get severely ill, most people have a mild illness and are able to recover at home. But regardless of your personal risk, it is natural to be concerned for your friends and family or about uncertainty and changes in your daily routine.

There are things you can do to manage your stress.

• Learn about COVID-19. Knowing the facts and stopping the spread of rumors about COVID-19 can help you feel more in control of what is happening.
• Help stop the spread of COVID-19 by washing your hands often with soap and water, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding close contact with other people even your friends. COVID-19 may be spread by people who do not have symptoms. These actions will keep you from getting sick and spreading the virus to other people you care about.

New, easy-to-use, interactive web tools for children and teens to deal with thoughts and feelings in a healthy way.

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Helping Kids With Depression Get Treatment

Some teens will want to go to therapy when you ask them and some wont. For those who are resistant, know that they arent going to suddenly open up to the idea of therapy quickly, but you can help guide them towards treatment by opening the door and then waiting patiently for them to walk through it.

Try saying, I know youre having a hard time, and I have some ideas of things that could help. If youd like to talk with me about them, let me know. Im here for you. Its also a good idea to ask them if they has any suggestions on how you might be able to help. You might be surprised with what they have to say.

Be aware that your teen might tell you to back off. Thats fine its their way albeit a slightly irritable one of telling you that they need space. Its normal for teenagers to want independence, and its important for you to respect that. You can respond by saying, Ill give you more space, but know that Im here for you if you ever want to talk or hear my suggestions.

If they do come to you wanting help, be prepared. Do your research. Find two or three therapists they can interview and tell them that they can choose the one that they feel most comfortable with, and think will help the most. Finding a therapist who is a good fit is extremely important, and making the choice theirs will help them feel ownership over their own treatment, which is extremely important to teens and sets the stage for effective therapy.

What Is The Treatment For Depression In Teens

There are several evidence-based treatments that work for depression in teens. They include these types of talk therapy:

• cognitive behavioral therapy
• interpersonal therapy
• attachment-based family therapy

Each of these therapies targets different aspects of depression. Therapists might use a few of these in a teen’s treatment. The details of treatment depend on what the teen needs and how severe their symptoms are.

Therapists plan each teen’s treatment after first doing a careful exam. They will talk with you and your teen to explain the treatment they recommend. Sometimes, doctors also prescribe medicines to help teens who are depressed.

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