How does a preteen deal with feeling depressed often?

Answer 1

As an adult with a history of depression that began during middle childhood, I feel that it is important for such feelings to be taken very seriously and actively addressed and treated. The problem is that antidpepressant drugs pose a definite risk of suicidal thinking and behavior when given to younger children. If this were my child (and yes, I have really planned for this, researching it carefully, given my own history), I would first try a non-medication approach, with the go-ahead from my child's pediatrician of course. As a starting place, there needs to be open and accepting communication between the child and a parent or guardian about what is going on in their life - not via arguing, badgering ,or shouting. Kids need to feel safe and loved when discussing such difficult feelings. I would try to form a partnership with my child to work together to help them feel better and I would describe to them the steps that I would plan on taking as a parent to do this: I would dramatically increase their level of physcial activity, dramatically decrease the amount of time spent watching TV and playing Video Games or using the computer. I would try to get the child into fun group activities with peers, family, and friends. I would also pay close attention to their diet and daily schedule - making sure they get at least 2 healthy meals every day (Limit highly sugary, caffeine-containing drinks like cola or mountain dew) and stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule that included at least 8 hours of sleep every night. The final part of this approach would be cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with a trained, qualified mental health professional. CBT is NOT traditional, open-ended talk therapy, but rather very targeted, and focused on addressing the specific problems being encountered and I am impressed by the large number of controlled clincial trials where CBT has been found to be quite effective. If after 8-10 weeks things did not improve, I would hesitantly re-consider meds...

Answer 2

You need to talk to your parents about your stress. They can't help you if they don't know how you feel. If you don't feel you can talk to them, then talk to your grandparents, friends, aunts, pastor, school counselor, etc., about your stress and the cause of it. Is it a bad home life and home environment? If so, there is help. Your school guidance counselor and/or your minister can give you some great suggestions and help, depending on the cause of the stress.

Do you know the cause of your stress, or is it being a teen or pre-teen in general, and the problems that come with it? All kids go through this, feeling that their problems have no solution, but there is always a solution. You just have to first determine what the cause of the stress is, and then go from there.

Also, you need to realize that your pre-teen and teen years are only temporary. You will be grown and on your own sooner than you realize. I know it doesn't seem so now, but those years will go by much more quickly than you know.

In the meantime, try to find an outlet for your stress. Hobbies such as sports, drawing, reading, computer games, etc., can be a great stress reliever. But one of the biggest and best stress relievers of all is talking about it.

It also helps tremdously to write your feelings and thoughts in a journal. That is an excellent way of getting things off your chest, because you can say anything you want, without the fear of telling someone something you prefer to keep secret, or the fear of getting in trouble because of how you feel.

Answer 3

• It is not uncommon for a teenager to be depressed. It can be caused by hormonal changes or sometimes genetics. Also poor diet; lack of sleep or others worries such as fitting in at school; perhaps bullying; feelings of loneliness. Drugs such as Marijuana can cause lethargy and sometimes depression as can other street drugs and alcohol is also a depressant (not accusing you of drugs.) You should talk to your parents about your depression or you have the right to go to your family doctor and discuss how you feel and your doctor may put you on antidepressants along with seeing a psychologist (they study human behavior.) There is no shame in seeing a psychologist (it's a smart move as he/she will give you tools to work with through your life) and many people do see psychologists or psychiatrists.

Answer 4

Try to keep active focus your attention on doing something you love