Your brooding teen: Just moody or mentally ill?
December 2nd, 2008. Published under News. 1 Comment.
A good article explaining the diffenrences between symptoms of depression in teenagers and adults which according to the article are different.
Sharon Fawcett, a mother of two teenagers in New Brunswick, Canada, had struggled with depression herself for almost a decade, so she was always on the lookout for signs of the illness in her daughters. But, she said, she completely missed the disease in her younger daughter.
“Jenna started telling me she was depressed when she was 14, but to me, she was just laying around and being lazy, and using this as an excuse,” Fawcett said. “I thought: she’s not depressed, she’s angry and she’s moody. I just thought it was the stereotypical adolescent moodiness and negativity.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here“The thing that confused me about my kids — and I’ve heard other parents say this — is how they can be so happy when they’re out with their friends, and as soon as they come home they’re depressed and angry and not speaking with us. I’ve learned since then that kids reserve their anger for the people they know they’re safe with.”
Sharon Fawcett on December 2nd, 2008
Hi, I’m Sharon Fawcett, the mom in this article. Just wanted you to know how my daughter, Jenna, is doing now. She was able to graduate high school this past June (a year after her peers) and she is now working full-time and supporting herself as a supervisor in a coffee shop, dealing with the public all day long. She moved into her own apartment in August, as well. Pretty amazing accomplishments for a young woman who couldn’t even leave the house a couple of years ago.
Please know that with help, recovery from depression is possible. It’s never hopeless.
Peace and hope!
Sharon Fawcett
Author of HOPE FOR WHOLENESS: The Spiritual Path to Freedom from Depression