Mood disorders in teenagers

Mood disorders in teenagers

Mood disorders, whether depression, bipolar disorder, or a variation of the two, are more common in teenagers than we generally think. The problem from a diagnostic perspective is that teenagers are inconsistent, moody and often test boundaries. It is the nature of the animal.

How do you tell the difference? If your daughter or son shows signs of mood swings, staying in bed too much or, on the other hand, having flights of energy, insomnia and grandiosity, you might start to think that these are no longer just teenage mood swings. Mood disorders tend to run in families. Therefore, check your own history on your side and on your spouse's side. Did the birth parents have these problems when your child was adopted?

What defines mood disorders, indeed any disorder, is not just what they experience but also how they affect the way they function. If a person is walking around depressed but is not suicidal, does well in school, has good friends, has a boyfriend or girlfriend, and is generally enjoying life, this may simply be teenage angst. On the other hand, if she tells you she's fine but has trouble getting out of bed in the morning, her friends have stopped calling and she's lost interest in what used to bring her joy, causing actual depression.

The treatments for depression and mood disorders are very effective, but you have to let the child see them. I generally recommend that parents tell their children that they are coming for an evaluation - there is no obligation that they continue to see me or seek treatment. This preamble generally relieves them, makes them feel less trapped and, paradoxically, allows them to open up.

Once diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder or less severe cousins, dysthymia and psychothymia, treatments include supportive psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and prescribed medication. People often put off the idea of ​​medication for teenagers, but many psychiatrists, including me, will tell you that medication can be very effective - sometimes the most effective of all treatments. And when it's effective, it's a godsend. We treat children with medication to give them the strength to overcome the obstacles that affect them so that they can thrive in the future. Treatment is not just about alleviating the unhappy mood, but also about understanding and dealing with the problem that may have triggered it in the first place - a breakup, a divorce, a move, a death, etc. Mood disorders are real and, like everything else in life, they are best handled in a simple way. Avoidance makes them worse and honest assessment and treatment often saves the day.

Inspired by Mark Banschick M.D.