Troubled Teens Resources

“What do you have to be depressed about? You have everything you could possibly want,” is often the frustrated parent’s response to a teen who confesses that he or she is depressed. But the fact is, all that the teen does have materially is not necessarily what the teen actually wants or needs. An Ipod , tattoos, baggy jeans and mini skirts are what his culture informs he must have. Home, hearth, food and education are what his parents know are necessities to provide. So it is not without cause that a parent would, along with sorrow and fear, also feel a sense of outrage that their teen is struggling and struggling with drug abuse, no less.

Sometimes, when depression manifests as drug abuse, the reasons are far more complex than simple rebellion. Drug abuse in the depressed teen often begins as a form of self-medication, a desperate attempt to feel something, anything but the gnawing despair that haunts them.

“Episodes of major depression may occur suddenly or gradually and usually last several months. It is common for episodes to recur and suicide is a major risk.

The cause of depression is not known, but a number of advances have been made in identifying potential factors. Depression comes in many forms, from mild sadness to a mood disorders such as major depression. Most likely, it is a combination of genetic and environmental factors that are involved in the development of the disorder. Major depression tends to run in families, and it may be triggered by severe stress (e.g., abuse, death of a loved one). Depression is more common in women and people with chronic medical conditions.”
(source)

It is very important that a parent does not make their troubled teenager’s depression and drug abuse about them. Most parent have done it all “by the book” and have indeed provided for their children - body, mind, and (sometimes) soul. A teenager’s depression and subsequent drug abuse can stem from any of several factors, and in many cases the origin of depression are totally beyond a parent’s control, but not, beyond their love and understanding.