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24/7 HelplineIn 2015, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimated 3 million adolescents aged between 12 and 17 had at least one major depressive episode.
Major depression is one of the most common mental illnesses. Although it’s easy to dismiss as a bad mood or an episode of the teenage blues, it isn’t: Depression doesn’t go away after a few weeks and should be treated at depression treatment centers. Major depressive episodes last and can wreak havoc on daily functioning, affecting sleep patterns, appetite, performance in school and even relationships with friends and family.
Every teenager experiences times of sadness and feeling troubled. They’re normal. Depression isn’t. Sovereign Health provides expert, compassionate treatment for depression at Rancho San Diego, our residential treatment center for adolescents aged 12 to 17. We’ll help your child move past his or her illness and into his or her potential.
Depression
Depression’s hard to spot in a teenager. The teen years are likely the most tumultuous time in a person’s life, a period where everything from one’s appearance to one’s relationships changes dramatically. A friend is lost when interests change. A relationship at school goes sour. An invitation to a party never comes. The sadness these events can create is perfectly normal and goes away.
Depression is different. It lasts much longer than a bad mood and seriously impacts an adolescent’s ability to function normally. Depressed teens lose interest in school, activities and even their friends. The illness also warps individuals’ view of the world and themselves, creating overwhelming sensations of doom, sadness and hopelessness. Worst of all, unchecked depression can lead to self-harm and suicide.
Suicide has had a long, sad presence in the lives of troubled young people, and studies are showing it’s a growing problem. The American Psychological Association lists suicide as the third-leading cause of death for young people aged between 15 and 24.
