4 Simple Ways Yo Help A Depressed Teenager

Posted by Sara Jane on January 17th, 2019

It is a common mistake that most people only associate depression with adults. These days many teens have also had to severely struggle with depression. With as much 50% of families getting divorced, separated or becoming too busy with their work schedule and spending less time with their kids, the number of teens who are fighting with depression has moved up over the last decade.

Here are four things you could do to support any teen who is struggling with depression.

1. Opt for therapy

People let out a lot of burdens whenever they find someone they can trust and talk to; that is how it works with teens. Bottling up all their thoughts and emotions will only make matters worse for them, and this could drive them to commit suicide. It's normal to feel as if there is no escape route when you are experiencing depression. So if a depressed teen gets a chance to speak with a teen therapy provider, it affords him or her opportunity to let go of negative energy and emotions.

2. Lesser screen time

In today’s digital era, youth are fond of spending most of their time in their rooms engaging video games on their mobile devices or slugging it out with a friend on Facebook. Spending an hour or two is not such a bad idea when it comes to having fun with these super gadgets, but teens spend way too much time satisfying themselves with various contents. And this could cause some harm in the long run. That is because when they are engaged in such processes; their brains begin to release dopamine as well as other chemicals that make them addicted to such processes. This will only drive them to engage more, and when they fail to satisfy the mind as required, depression comes calling. That is why it has become necessary to monitor how much time they spend on their system and mobile devices, by ensuring they don't spend more than an hour or two.

3. Engage them as much as possible

Living life in isolation is a good reason to fall into depression. For the human mind to be continuously healthy, it needs to be as active as possible. More importantly the body needs to undergo exercises that can make it sweat. Sweating does not only cause the release of endorphins and the pumping of oxygen to the brain, but it also ensures that the body gets rid of toxins. The fact that teenagers spend a great deal of their time playing with their mobile devices and other gadgets, simply means they lack the time to engage in physical activity that will make them sweat.

4. Balanced diet

Teenagers are prone to depression when they take foods that do not contain a balanced diet, which could likely affect the gut flora. Researchers have been able to establish that there is a direct relationship between how we feel and what enters our gut flora. So when a child takes in excess junk food in the absence of some fruits and vegetables, it could lead to depression. It has become imperative that a teenager understands the relevance of eating healthy and how it affects their physiological make-up.