Low Mood & Depression: getting help
Navigating the emotional landscape of our teenagers can be a challenge. The line between typical teenage moodiness and something more serious, like depression, can be blurry and it’s not always easy to know when your teen might need extra help and support.
In last night’s Let’s all Talk Mental Health session, our resident Clinical Psychologist, Dr Sarah-Jane Knight, helped us understand the difference between the two conditions, how to recognise if your teen is struggling with their mood and shared some practical tips on how to get teens talking and the best ways to support them.
Low mood or depression?
Periods of low mood can be a totally normal part of being a teenager, but how do you know things are getting more serious? Sarah-Jane talked through signs to look out for that might mean your teen is experiencing depression:
“If their sleep is very disturbed, if there's changes to their appetite, if they're really struggling to engage and concentrate and also if they've stopped doing the things that they used to enjoy doing.”
She also shared some useful advice on helping your teen if they’re feeling low;
Open communication: let your teen know you’re there to listen without putting pressure on them to talk.
Normalise their feelings: validate their emotions by acknowledging what they’re feeling is real and significant, but don’t catastrophise
Encourage Routine: help your teen establish a positive routine, including regular sleep, meals, and doing things they enjoy
Ask for help: you know your teen best. If you need more support, then reach out for professional help.
“I think the take home message is try not to worry too much. It’s normal to have periods of fluctuating mood. It’s human experience to have periods of being low, being unhappy, feeling sad - life is stressful. There’s lots of pressure on our young people. Do what you can to ease that as much as you can and try not to worry before you have to worry.”
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We’ll be back next Monday 22nd January at 8pm with Esther Usiskin Cohen, Consultant Systemic/Family Psychotherapist, to talk about Supporting Teens Through Family and Relationship Difficulties.