How To Know If You Are A Depressed Teen

How do I know I'm depressed?

Depression is hard to identify during adolescence. Adolescents very often don't complain about the same kinds of things that an adult will complain of. They don't often feel depressed in the way we think of it. They don't feel sad, they don't cry. They may just feel anxious, have trouble sleeping, obsessive thoughts. They may, again, sleep too much, eat too much, eat too little. They may begin acting out sexually. They may begin thinking about doing drugs and alcohol. They may have a sudden drop in grades, which is actually the most sensitive indicator of a depression. But they may at no point complain that I'm feeling sad, I'm crying or I feel depressed. They may not be able to express it that way.