Depression

The teenage years are an emotional roller coaster, even for adolescents who are loved and well adjusted. For young people who are neglected or abused, being a teenager can be a nightmare. Is it any wonder that many teens experience significant symptoms of depression?

Parents, teachers, friends, and relatives often find it difficult to recognize and deal with depression. Teens often express their depression in ways parents may not expect. Instead of symptoms such as apathy, lethargy, withdrawal, hopelessness, and unusual sleep patterns, depressed teens tend to be intensely irritable, have angry outbursts, experience problems, and show destructive behaviors such as alcohol or drug abuse. In the United States today, depression among young people is so common that it's considered an epidemic.