Most of us have heard the “typical” teenager stories of hormonal or argumentative kids who rebel against their parents’ rules. They seem edgy and irritated at life or other family members and often it is difficult to say anything right without setting them off.

My guest this week is Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW, a social worker for 25 years, and he helps us understand that some teens may exhibit these behaviors as signs of depression. While it’s natural to sometimes feel blue or a little sad, depression is more serious and can present itself in many different ways.

Gary describes depression as a profound sadness that can overwhelm people or become incapacitating. Common symptoms include changes in appetite, changes in sleeping patterns, and appearing gloomy, upset, or distressed. However, some teens also appear frustrated, angry, or edgy on a regular basis.

Please listen in for Gary’s advice for determining if your teen is depressed and how to treat teen depression.

Gary also has a phenomenal resource website at http://www.yoursocialworker.com/, full of parenting resources, articles, and additional information.

 

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