I have a friend who is 14 and i recently googled the signs and symptoms of teenage depression. she had most of the symptoms and then i convinced her to take an online screening test and it said
"Your screening results indicate a high likelihood that you are suffering from severe depression.
Your answers also show you might be at risk for harming yourself"
her aunt has depression and has also tried talking to her about it, but my friend just keeps saying "Im not depressed. im perfectly normal." is there anything i can do to maybe change her mind? any suggestions?
instead of telling her that she has a problem, let a therapist do that. if she is not willing to see one on her own, then the next step is to inform your school counsler. that is what they are there for, and do this if you are worried for her safety, and not how mad she might be that you told someone.
who knows, it may be thanks enough when you save her from hurting herself, and a chance at a better future!
Firstly, what are her symptoms? you don't say what they are, making it hard for us to determine whether she may be depressed or simply hormonal. Don't forget that teenagers are prone to mood swings, including bouts of depression, but it's completely normal. I'm only 17 so don't think I'm trying to stereotype you, I'm just speaking from experience.
Secondly, if she doesn't feel that she's depressed, the likelihood is that she's not. Trust me, you KNOW when you're depressed. After months of crying for up to 3 hours every day, being too afraid to leave the house and losing about a stone in weight, I knew I had a problem! If she exhibits these symptoms, sit her down. Tell her that she's your friend and you're worried about her. If you want to back up your idea, here are the symptoms you could look out for that I can think of:
- crying for hours for no reason.
- psychosomatic pain - these means pain that has no physical cause and is caused by the mind. Stomach aches and back ache are common with depression.
- paranoia
- loss of appetite
- gain in appetite - some people eat endlessly, some people don't eat at all. It's different for each individual.
- loss of interest in hobbies
- becoming shy and withdrawn
Good luck, if it emerges that your friend is depressed, I hope she gets the help that she needs.
a person who is depressed will not convince themselves or say that they are normal. they will gladly embrace the depression and "show it off".
Depression is only in the mind. If your friend refutes it, that is a good sign. what you need to do is support her in this and hopes she never brings the word "depression" up again, because she really may not have "depression".
if YOU are truly and undeniably convinced that she is, what are the signs? why do you say she is depressed? is it because she has been having some problems lately? because everyone has problems and her being sad is normal. is there a family issue? don't just resort to depression straightaway to explain her behavior. everyone has their mood-swings. Some more than others, especially teenagers. =-)
Your job is to pray for her, be there for her, love her, be her friend. If she DOES exhibit urges to hurt hurself, report it to her parents or a school counselor.
If she DOES have depression, medications do not work, and treatment rarely does. she needs Jesus.
=) and don't you yourself be stressed overly about this. Take care.
How can I convince my friend that she might have depression?
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