Adolescents and teenagers who suffer from depression usually do not respond positively to attempts from their parents to engage in more positive thinking. If a teenager is depressed, it is vital that they find help from a therapist in Orange County CA instead. These professionals are trained to help young people overcome their difficult symptoms. Furthermore, they can determine whether a physical disorder is present and treat it if necessary. This is actually the first step of the entire process, which ends with teens overcoming their feelings of disappointment and depression.

Treating Depression in Young People

There are numerous techniques available to help in the treatment of depression. If cases are very severe but patients are still treated on an outpatient basis, they will usually be provided with both psychotherapy and antidepressant medication. These drugs do have side effects, which can be very unpleasant, but they are short lived and the relief it provides means that most people are happy to cope with them for a short period of time. However, young people in particular should not simply be given medication. They should also be provided with counseling and therapy, so that they can explore the reason why they feel despondent. Maladaptive patterns can be identified, and therapists can support young people to make the necessary changes.

Counseling on its own, without medication, can also be beneficial for those with less severe depression. It is believed that depression occurs when the mindset is negative. Hence, therapy focuses on creating a more positive view, and one that is often also more realistic. This is generally achieved through cognitive behavior therapy. In therapy, teenagers learn to understand how their thinking patterns are making the depression worse, and these thought processes are then changed. Additionally, young people are taught how to have better social skills and how to relax. They learn to understand that pleasurable activities are very important, and they learn to adapt their behavior accordingly.

If someone has depression, it can be very difficult for them to imagine a world in which they feel good and normal. Teenagers in particular are much less likely to ask for help, or even to accept it if it is offered. Even if they know that they are unhappy because of depression, they will still generally resist going to therapy of any kind. As a parent, you need to remember that this doesn’t mean that all is lost. And if your child does go and states that they didn’t like it and don’t want to go again, other solutions are available as well. Everything takes time and effort, be that convincing your child to get help, or for your child to respond to the help provided. There is light at the end of the tunnel therefore, both for you as a family unit and for your troubled teenager. You simply have to be patient.