What is the difference between Teen Angst and Teen Depression?

Warning signs of Depression in Adolescents are similar to those of adults even though their presentation might be different. The key is to be aware of warning signs, especially if they seem prolonged. If the signs listed below last longer than 2 weeks, it would be a good idea to take your teen to your family doctor.

1) Pervasive sadness that can present as frequent bouts of tearfulness or crying

Sometimes,teen depression presents as an unusual and obsessive preoccupation with death and nihilism: wearing black clothes, adopting Gothic mannerism, listening to nihilistic music, writing about death, talking about death.

2) A Change in Sleeping Patterns

This is often manifested as insomnia. It is not uncommon for teens in depression to stay up all night watching TV or listening to music.Often they miss school and sleep all day. The cycle is repeated.

3) A Change in Eating Patterns

This is often manifested as anorexia(not wanting to eat, excessive worry about getting fat) or overeating with bulimia. Any unusual or obsessive preoccupation with body image is a cause for concern.

4) Substance or Alcohol Abuse

Excessive experimentation with drugs and alcohol is often used by depressed teens to mask their unhappiness and pain.

5) Withdrawal from Family/Hanging Out with a "Bad" or "Risky " Crowd

A Change in friends can also be a sign of depression, especially when the teen begins seeking the company of delinquent, hostile or risky groups.

6) Frequent complaints of physical aches in the body, headaches or stomachaches.

7) Poor academic performance and behavior problems in school.

8) Obsessive thoughts and talk of death and suicide

9) Change in Energy Patterns

The teen exhibits either decreased energy and enthusiasm or increased, frenzied hyperactivity ( which can be due to substance abuse).

More at http://www.help-your-child-with-anger.com/depression-in-adolescents.html

Living in Peace and Harmony With Your Teenager

What? Do you mean there is such a thing? Most people find it hard to believe that you can live peacefully with any teenager, even the good ones. Well, there are ways it can be done, but it does require effort on both parts. The parent and the teen must be willing to work together to maintain a good relationship without alienating one another. It is easy enough to say that you are the parent and it is going to be your way or no way, but parents that use that old stand by analogy find that it rarely works and often creates more problems than there has to be.

When teenagers are in the midst of this precarious state, they are growing up and are trying hard to make the transition from child to adult. Some parents are less accommodating during this time than others. Some parents can be much too strict with a teenager because they are afraid for them. They are afraid that they are going to make the wrong choices, hang out with the wrong people, be influenced by the wrong things, and this is a perfectly natural reaction. The only problem is that your concern can often interfere with the growing up process. We have to learn to give our trust to out teens until they give us a reason not to.

A good example of extending trust to them before you are distrustful is this. Sometimes a parent will be over curious when a teen begins to spend too much time alone in their room when they are at home. Most teens do this and it is simple enough, this is their way of detaching themselves from you and learning to have their own privacy. Usually they are doing absolutely nothing horrendous, it is just them taking the first steps of moving out without leaving the home.

It can be tempting for a parent to snoop into closets or drawers when the teen is not at home just so they can satisfy their curiosity that nothing bad is going on. This can be a bad mistake because you are showing them that you already distrust them before they have even given you a reason to. No one is saying that if you are noticing warning signs that you should ignore them. If your teen is coming home in a strange state of mind with red eyes or alcohol on their breath, only a parent with their head in the sand would not find out what is going on.

Even though you sometimes might have to make compromises to stay in a good relationship with your teen, make sure it is within reason and you are not giving into things that you really do not think you should. If you say be home by eleven and your teen wants to stay out until two in the morning, you know this is unreasonable. No teenager has any business out at two in the morning. You might make it twelve and feel you have adequately compromised and you would be right. Even though you want things to be in good standing between you, you also have to remember that are the parent and that you can loosen the reigns somewhat to give them space, just be sure you are not letting them go all together.

About the Author

Aydan Corkern is a writer an you can visit his sites for more information: how to get your ex back and garden supplies.