Raising a teenager into a responsible adult is a challenging task for any parent. But if their child end up in depression, then the task at hand can be daunting. Only unconditional love and a sense of comfort can bring back the teenager out of the depressed state and give them hope for the future. Below are four warning signs of teen depression you should watch out for.

• Issues At School: Your child will start having problems with grades and teachers will complain how they are not attentive in classes. They may also be involved in fights with other children. Teenagers might also skip attending school frequently.
• Reckless, Aggressive Behavior: Children will be more aggressive at home. Everything you say, every rule you set will be seen as an imposition by them that infringes and puts them in a cage. As a result, they are likely to be reckless and do things that are banned or illegal.
• Self Esteem Issues: One of the biggest warning signs of teen depression is that they can suffer from terrible self-esteem issues where the child might think that they literally have no value and that they are ‘less’ than other students at school. This can be extremely damaging at a physiological level and go on to affect the school performance of the teenager.
• Smoking, Alcohol, And Drug: You may discover signs of smoking, alcohol, and drug usage in your kid’s bedroom. Teenagers who are in deep depression do tend to resort to such things as a means to let them relax and forget the pain they are in.

How To Deal With Teenage Child Depression

If you come across strong signs of teen depression, then you can deal with it in the following ways.

Never present yourself as an absolute authority in the house. This is the worst thing you can do when dealing with a depressed teenager. They might rebel against your authority and become violent or they might cower in front of you and gradually lose their confidence and self-esteem. Instead, present yourself as a friend and a wise listener. This will give you a better chance of connecting with your child in a way that they feel comfortable talking about their depression.

Never try to fix their issues, whatever it may be. Teenagers who are in depression will usually not like the involvement of anyone, including their parents, in any of their problems. If you involve yourself in their problems, they will withdraw even more and start hiding their life from you, worsening the situation.

Make them feel loved. The biggest fear of most depressed teenagers is that nobody loves them. And the possibility that they are unloved can chip away at their psyche and push them into further depression. So, always shows them how much you love them from time to time. This must be done in a very relaxed manner and not in a forced way where you declare that you love them as your child. No, this won’t do. The best way to show your love is indirectly, by cooking them their favorite food, buying them presents, taking their sides in an argument, and so on.

Finally, keep yourself in touch with a mental health professional who is an expert at teenage depression treatment.  Seek out their advice and implement them in the house discreetly. As far as possible, don’t push your child to go to a mental care expert. The idea of visiting a psychologist can make them extremely defensive and aggressive. Instead, just monitor your child’s actions and always be available when they need you. And when you see some serious problems with your teenager, then definitely take them for a visit to a good psychologist.