How to address symptoms of depression in teens: Advice from leading wilderness therapy program
Trails Carolina, a leading wilderness therapy program for young people ages 10-17, recognizes the importance of promoting depression education and awareness. Our program is designed to support youth with depression, teaching them healthy coping strategies for dealing with depression and helping parents learn how to best support their child with depression.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 2.6 million adolescents ages 12-17 have experienced an episode of depression in the past year. That’s 10.7 percent of the US population of people ages 12-17, and one out of every five teens.
“Most people think of depression as the same thing as sadness, which means that happiness is the opposite. With this mindset, depression can be cured by being happy or doing happy things, “ says former staff member . “The truth is, the opposite of depression is not happiness but rather vitality, a desire for living and being alive. That is not something that ‘doing something that makes you feel good’ will fix.”
Recognizing depression in teens can be difficult because depression looks different from teen to teen; some isolate and withdraw from friends and family, while others fake happiness and normalcy while internally feeling incredibly alone and artificial.
After working with hundreds of teens struggling with depression, Trails Carolina believes parents should address symptoms of teen depression with the following:
- Be compassionately persistent: Don’t let "I’m fine, I don’t want to talk about it" keep parents from helping teens open themselves up. At the same time, don’t barge in and pressure teens to talk about what they are feeling. That can cause them to close off their emotions. Say something like: "I can see that something is bothering you and I can see that it is affecting your life negatively. We’re concerned about it and we want to help you through this by discussing it with you."
- Talk about fears: If teens are hesitant to talk about their feelings, it’s usually because they feel embarrassed about them or are afraid of how their situation will be handled. Ask them: “What is causing you to fear opening up to me about your emotions? What would you like to hear from me as your parent if you open up to me?”
- Differentiate the person from the behavior. Instead of thinking of your teen as depressed, think of them as a person experiencing depression.
- Listen to your child. Instead of focusing on a fix for your child’s problem, really listen to what your child is feeling and understand all the underlying issues.
- Seek help. Don’t be afraid to reach out for professional help. Professionals can help you gauge the level and significance of depression.
A Message From Our Founder. . .
"At Trails Carolina, we help teens develop various coping skills to help with mood regulation for depression. Research shows that both mindfulness and yoga are highly effective in the treatment of depression,” says Graham Shannonhouse, Executive Director and Founder of Trails Carolina. “Because of that, students actively engage in mindfulness groups and yoga multiple times per week."
Trails Carolina wilderness therapy utilizes the most up-to-date treatment practices for depression, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy program based just outside of Asheville, North Carolina that offers a multi-dimensional wilderness therapy model to troubled adolescents, ages 10-17. Trails capitalizes upon the profound effects of a student’s wilderness experience and then combines that experience with strong clinical assessments and therapy. For additional information about Trails Carolina, please call 800-975-7303.
Get started today
Contact us today to learn how Trails Carolina can help your family
Trails saved my daughter’s life. Amanda is an amazing human and a brilliant therapist. I am so grateful to her, Science Steve, and the other wonderful people who could reach my daughter at a time when I could not.
Margot Lowman August 2022
Great life changing experience for our son. After becoming addicted to gaming during covid he was very depressed. At Trails he experienced the wilderness, Science Steve, learning survival skills and top notch therapy and support etc… I highly recommend! This gave our son and our family a renewed family bond full of love and excitement about his bright future.
Winnifred Wilson July 2022
Outstanding clinical work and superb staff! There’s a great culture at this company and it shows with how they engage with families/clients.
Kristin Brace June 2022