Does Your Teen Have a Lack of Interest in Life? There Could Be a Deeper Problem.

It is natural for almost anyone to go through a period where they feel disinterested with life and the same goes with teens.

From time to time it is natural for teens to have varying interests on things. There are instances where teens show occasional disenchantment concerning their life but once their interests in everything has disappeared over a number of years, then it’s rarely normal for a teen to feel that way.

When a teen gets stuck in losing interest in almost anything, parents should make an effort to free them of this state. There could really be something that interferes with your teen’s ability to connect with the joy that life has to offer.

What Could Be the Real Problem?

Losing interest in practically all activities is known to be an early warning sign of depression. At one point in your teen’s life, they might suddenly give up on things they enjoy the most. May it be a favored hobby for years, a social activity or meeting with their friends. Usually, they start to withdraw from any form of social interaction and not caring about almost anything anymore.

"...Teen depression is said to severly disable 4 out of 100 teens every year..."

Teens could be depressed for a lot of reasons, including but not limited to:

• A stressful home environment – A teen surrounded by an environment which is full of abuse, disputes or even financial difficulties can lead to poor self confidence that may contribute to a feeling of depression.
• The way teens negatively see life or feel badly about themselves is rooted from an unhappy family life full of conflicts. The lack of self confidence usually results to feeling of hopelessness and failure over a period of time. To escape a stressful environment, teens often turn to drugs and alcohol which can also affect their mood changes as substance abuse has the ability to shift chemicals within the brain.
• Loss or death of a loved one – Stressful life events such as losing or death of a loved one, parental separation, parents who got divorce or has remarried can become very traumatic for a teen; events that can lead to depression. Any event where a teen experiences stress or trauma can be a potential factor where a teen can gain symptoms of depression.
• Teens who suppress their emotions and control themselves from grieving are also more vulnerable to depression. Despair and sadness does not overpower a teen to a large extent. It’s important for the teen to have someone to open up to in order to slowly overcome the traumatic experience.
• Family history or genetics – If there has been a history of depression in your family, then it is possible that your teen may have inherited the same behavior. Not all teens with a depressive family history can inherit this illness. Although there’s still a probability that a teen with this type of history in the family are usually more prone to have symptoms of depression.
• Suffers from a learning, attention or conduct disorder – Medical and physical conditions such as these can also trigger depression among teens. The chemical imbalances within the brain caused by these disorders can affect your teen’s mood wherein in some cases, medication is already required. Always note that treating teens with prescribed medication is only for those with severe cases of depression. Parents should see to it that they closely monitor their teens under medication. Never neglect any possible results of hypomania, severe depression, suicidal tendencies, panic attacks and negative changes in behavior.

Knowing the underlying reasons for depression can help explain why your teen might lose interest in anything they used to be passionate or interested about. Parents who take their time out to know what’s wrong with their teen will find it easier to provide the appropriate help that they need.

It’s possible for depression to be cured especially with the aid of proper medication when needed, proper counseling or therapy, a healthy lifestyle and a complete support from family or friends.