Residential Treatment Center Provo | Is My Son Depressed?

Is My Son Depressed?

March 22, 2021

Kaizen Academy is a premier teen RTC located just outside of Provo UT. We focus on rehabilitating teenage boys aged 13-18 who have sexual behavior issues while also providing support and treatment for their families. Our goal is to help your family heal, and we work hard toward achieving this. To learn more about our teen residential treatment center, contact us today.

While our main focus at Kaizen Academy is boys who have sexual behavior issues, we understand that these issues can both be a result of a larger issue or bring on additional ones. One common struggle is depression, and overcoming this can be very difficult for someone to do on one’s own. In this blog post, we’ll look at a few examples of things that may be indicators that your son is struggling with depression, and what you can do to assist them.

General Expressions Of Negativity And Hopelessness

While occasional bouts of sadness are very common when going through adolescence, more extended and serious blocks of such behavior are something that should be paid closer attention to. Has your son started to appear to be more negative than positive? Do they express a general feeling of hopelessness? Are they not able to see the positive side of things and only focus on the negative? These all may be signs that your son is going through a period of depression, and it’s important to understand the cause of this. While depression can sometimes be a temporary occurrence and eventually pass, more major depressive episodes require attention. As teens going through depression can often feel hopeless, they may be unaware of how to help themselves, and it’s important that you both seek professional help for them while also letting them understand that their feelings are valid and that you and your family are there to support them through this difficult time.

Problems At School

Whether you’ve experienced depression in your life before or know of someone who has, one of the many things that it can do is distract you from other aspects of your life. For teens, school is the thing that takes up the majority of their time, but in order to succeed, they need to retain a significant level of focus to effectively learn and maintain good grades. Depression can most certainly get in the way of this focus, and if you’ve started to notice a decline in your son’s academic performance overall, coupled with a change in his overall demeanor, this may be a sign that your son is going through depression. Your son may also start to fake sick or just find excuses to not attend school. It’s important to determine what the issue is so as to help your son and his academic performance, although this also may have you realize that there are other issues that your son is experiencing. No matter what the situation, it’s important to address this immediately, so as to help them get back on track and out of the dark and difficult place that they may be in.

What-Are-The-Benefits-of-Residential-Treatment-Programs-CTA-5c7d6d7fc812b.png

Changes In Sleep Patterns And Increased Fatigue

A lack of sleep can do more damage than we realize. Think about the times at work where you were unable to get enough rest the night before; you were probably struggling to stay awake, much less to focus on the required tasks at hand. If your child is exhibiting a noticeable level of restlessness or general fatigue, it’s possible that they may be struggling with depression. As we mentioned earlier, depression can completely take over a person, clouding their otherwise clear mind and causing them to only focus on the pain of their internal struggle. This could not only get in the way of their ability to stay focused at school, but it could also cause them to fall behind as a result of it. If you notice that your child is restless, lethargic, and falling asleep during the day, this may be indicative of them struggling with depression.

A Withdrawal From Hobbies And Activities

Most every child has things that they find joy in, be it sports, music, video games, or other hobbies. Even if they aren’t always enjoying school, these hobbies are a great respite from the challenges that being in school can sometimes bring. One sign that your son may be experiencing depression, however, is if they start to show a decreased level of interest in or completely withdraw from their hobbies and activities. Depression can often act as a giant cloud over an otherwise clear sky and make us feel as though nothing matters, including the things that usually bring us great pleasure and joy. If you’re noticing that your son isn’t interested in their usual hobbies and activities, this could be a sign that they are struggling with depression. It’s important to talk to them to see what they’re going through, as addressing it early on can help them overcome the obstacles on their own, or help you determine that your child needs specialized help or treatment for their depression.

Those are just a few examples of things that may indicate that your son may be struggling with depression. At Kaizen Academy, we provide treatment for teenage boys who have sexual behavior issues as well as other issues that may occur as a result of this, including depression. Through our individual treatment programs as well as our family treatment programs, we aim to rehabilitate your son so that they can not only overcome their current struggles and rise above them but also help your family conquer them, so as to ensure the healing of the entire family system. To learn more about our teen residential treatment center, contact us today.

Tags: Residential Treatment Centers Provo