What are the signs and symptoms of depression?

Some signs and symptoms of depression are easier to spot than others. Common symptoms of depression include:

• Experiencing ongoing feelings of sadness or unhappiness
• Significant changes in school and dropping grades
• Rapid changes in social behavior, including long periods of isolation
• Experiencing changes in sleeping patterns, including sleeping significantly more or less than usual
• Feeling tired and suffering from consistent fatigue
• Experiencing changes in eating habits that result in significant weight gain or weight loss
• Losing enthusiasm for past hobbies and favorite activities
• Experiencing low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness
• Self-isolation and avoiding social activities
• Difficulty concentrating or paying attention

It is important to note that each case of depression is different, and children can display just one or several of the above signs and symptoms. In some cases of depression, friends and family of the depressed individual may not be able to notice any signs or symptoms of depression. Nonetheless, the individual may still be suffering from a challenging mental health condition which can be addressed and treated at our Healing Center.

What is anxiety disorder?

Anxiety is part of everyone’s life, and in many situations, anxiety is essential for helping people avoid danger and navigate risks. However, some children experience intense periods of anxiety that are unmanageable and overwhelming. In many cases, these individuals suffer from an anxiety disorder. There are several common types of anxiety disorder, including:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – Generalized anxiety disorder refers to ongoing anxiety that occurs on most days over a six month period. This anxiety may cause the person to feel regularly on-edge, irritable, and tired.
• Panic Disorder – This type of anxiety disorder results in panic attacks, which are short and sudden periods of heightened anxiety and fear. Panic attack episodes often result in heart palpitations, shortness of breath, shaking, and sweating. Panic attacks can occur due to a trigger event or due to a person’s ongoing worry about future panic attacks.
• Social Anxiety disorder – Some people refer to social anxiety disorder as social phobia. Individuals who suffer from social anxiety disorder are extremely uneasy in social situations or in front of other people. They often feel fear that other people are judging them negatively. This extreme self-consciousness can result in people avoiding social interactions.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – It’s normal to go through periods of increased interest or behaviors. It is also normal to feel concerned when a loved one is sick or in unsafe conditions. Someone may describe their latest interest in a favorite film series or artist as an “obsession”. However, when pursuing obsessions and engaging in compulsive behavior come at the expense of important activities – such as relationships, work, or everyday tasks – a person may be experiencing obsessive compulsive disorder.

What is trauma?

Psychological trauma refers to the mental health impacts of threats to an individual’s wellbeing. Examples of events that may cause trauma include:

• Losing a loved one
• Experiencing violence
• Ending a romantic relationship
• Being a victim of abuse and/or neglect
• Getting injured or disabled
• Experiencing a severe illness

Trauma often results in feelings of sadness, fear, anxiety, or anger, and the mental health impacts of traumatic events can be immediate or ongoing. In some cases, these challenges may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which refers to ongoing stress and fear that occur months after experiencing a traumatic event. Individuals may also develop substance abuse issues as they attempt to use drugs and alcohol to help deal with the pain of trauma.

Children and adolescents who experience trauma can use a variety of methods to cope with their symptoms. Self-help methods include spending time with friends and family and maintaining social connections. Talking with supportive people about their experiences and struggles can be a healing experience. Additionally, another self-help method is to maintain healthy eating, sleeping, and exercise routines. Taking care of basic physical health needs can help individuals maintain or improve their mental health. For people who need additional help dealing with trauma, comprehensive residential behavioral health treatment programs are available at our Healing Center

Trauma can result in a wide range of symptoms, including:

Physical symptoms: Trauma may cause children and adolescents to experience increased heart rates, sweating, and panic attacks. These symptoms result from increased adrenaline output when the person recalls the traumatic event or feels threatened by the prospect of future trauma. Individuals may also experience headaches and stomach pain.

Emotional and psychological symptoms: Trauma may result in individuals feeling intense sadness and anxiety. These symptoms are similar to symptoms of depression, and these individuals may avoid social interactions. In other cases, individuals may experience anger and resentment. People may also experience feelings of guilt.

What is self-harm?

Self-harm refers to intentionally injuring oneself in an attempt to cope with trauma or underlying mental health conditions. Self-harm occurs in many forms, and it most often occurs as cutting, scratching, burning, or self-hitting. Other forms of self-harm involve piercing and inserting objects under one’s skin.

People engage in self-harm as a way to take control of their emotions during difficult situations and while suffering from mental health challenges. The pain from self-harm injuries may distract a person from issues in other aspects of their life, and with some people, self-harm provides a temporary calming experience. Unfortunately, these short-term motivations that cause a person to engage in self-harm do not address the underlying reasons that drive their self-harm behavior.

Risk factors for self-harm include experiencing trauma through difficult home life or abuse. While self-harm affects people of all ages, the behavior is most common among younger teens. Most people stop self-harm behavior after just a few incidents. 

It is important to note that self-harm is different from suicide. In most cases, people engage in self-harm without the intention to kill themselves. However, self-harm behavior can lead to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Additionally, self-harm can lead to suicide due to unintentionally severe self-inflicted injuries. These unintentionally severe self-injuries often occur under the influence of drugs or alcohol when the individual misjudges the impacts of their actions.

What are the signs and symptoms of self-harm?

Signs and symptoms of self-harm often include physical markers of the injury. These markers include scratches, bruises, and scars. Typically, scars from self-harm injuries occur in patterns and near the wrists. People may notice that individuals who engage in self-harm may consistently wear long-sleeved shirts in an attempt to hide signs of their self-harm behaviors.

In addition to the physical effects of self-harm injuries, children and teens who engage in self-harm may also exhibit a range of emotional and psychological symptoms. Self-harm behavior often comes with low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness. 

Additionally, individuals who engage in self-harm may exhibit impulsive decision-making and instability throughout multiple areas of their lives, as well as difficulty forming and maintaining interpersonal relationships.