Growing up is something we all have to face. This often brings with it the consequences that are not particularly welcome. Our biggest changes occur in our youth and in particularly during adolescence where we undergo, huge changes, not only physical but also emotional and psychological.

This can be very overwhelming and difficult for teens to cope with. Particularly within the family setting the teen can feel isolated as he may very well feel he is going through these changes alone. This can affect his mood and so the risks of developing depression is heightened. Some of the factors that can contribute to a teenager developing depression are teens suffering from anxiety and those with learning difficulties or attention deficit disorder.

Depression in teens can be difficult to diagnose as being moody is a very common symptom of adolescent development. With all these emotions building up inside, a teenager may find it embarrassing and feel ashamed to ask for help. They might also not be aware of the symptoms of depression and may not recognize that they have an illness that is actually very common and one for which there is a considerable amount of help available to sufferers of depression.

Depression is a very serious illness and can result in attempts to take there own life as well as successfully committing suicide. The fact that anti-depressants are not recommended to people under the age of 18 means that teenagers are more at risk of committing suicide because anti-depressants can cause severe side-effects and are thus not suitable for people under the age of 18. Being vigilant and keeping a check on teens is very important as it is quite difficult to recognize depression in teens.

Some of the symptoms of depression that you should keep in mind are teens talking about suicide of actions that are self-harming. A deterioration in performance at school as well as a problem with authority are also symptoms of depression in teens. Other factors that can contribute to poor performance at school are a lack of motivation and enthusiasm, a lack of concentration and forgetfulness, restlessness and agitation. Other factors that are often seen as an separate problem on their own, which many not realize that they can be a symptom or sign of a deeper problem are alcohol and drug abuse and problems with anger, and a lack of anger management skills. Which is understandable as youths have yet so much to learn about life. It can however, be relatively easy to pick up on teens that withdraw themselves, initially from their friends, and then past pleasurable activities along with changes to sleeping and eating routines.

There are many other signs of depression that can indicate a deeper underlying cause of the symptom. It must be noted however that symptoms experienced don't always point to depression, especially if the teen has only one or two symptoms. This may not indicate depression and thus one need only treat the symptom in isolation. Some of the other signs that may point to depression are frequent crying for no reason at all. Some sufferers can't bear color and choose to wear black clothing. They show little or no interest in themselves and neglect their personal appearance and hygiene. Some of the physical symptoms not usually associated with depression but can occur frequently are dizziness, lightheadedness, back pains, headaches, feeling nauseous and having stomach aches. They may also talk about running away from home or following through with action.

It is important to be vigilant and remember that it is better to be safe than sorry, so if you know someone who exhibits a number of symptoms described above, whether they are an adolescent or not, help them by seeking a health professional that can examine them and decide on a suitable course of action or medication that is appropriate for the diagnosis. Remember, it's never too late to help someone with depression. You may just save a life.