Self-Help Strategies for Depressed Teens

A comprehensive approach to helping depressed teens combines professional therapy and/or medication with self-help strategies. These self-help strategies can help to shift negative patterns and provide your teen with tools they can implement and explore on their own.

Movement helps combat depression in a variety of ways, including releasing feel-good chemicals into the brain. Participating in physical activity may help improve your teen's mood, and any type of movement can make a difference, whether it’s walking the dog, dancing in the shower or skateboarding. Exercise also increases body temperature, which may produce a feeling of calmness, and help take your teen's mind off of their troubles. 

Food fuels the body and the mind. Some foods tend to make depression worse and some may make it better.

For teens who thrive on junk food, adding more nutritious foods to their diet often makes a big difference in how they feel. If you need more information about how to implement a healthier diet, schedule a session with a nutritionist who works with teens, or search for related information in books and online.

Isolation leads to loneliness, which may lead to increased feelings of depression. Unfortunately, a common symptom of depression in teens is social withdrawal. What often helps is to socialize and stay connected with others. A teen struggling with depression may need peers who will listen and lend their support. Sometimes other depressed teens are in the best position to do this, so consider an online support group specifically for depressed teens. 

Pent-up feelings and emotions sometimes need to be discharged in healthy ways in order to combat depression. The process of doing so can also help identify some of the negative feelings that often go along with depression. Keep in mind, however, that if this becomes a habit it can ultimately lead to rumination, which can produce a more depressed, unhappy mood.

Sleep often plays a role in how a teen feels physically and emotionally. Track your teen's sleep patterns for a few days to get more information.

In cases where more, or less, sleep is needed, learn about the factors that impact sleep and consult a health professional if needed.

When a teen doesn’t like how they feel or act, sometimes they experiment with drugs, including caffeine, in an effort to cope with their feelings. In most cases, your teen doesn’t realize they're self-medicating; they're just looking for ways to try to feel better. Teens who turn to alcohol and drugs usually make a bad situation worse. 

A report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), revealed that marijuana use among teens can worsen depression and lead to serious mental disorders like schizophrenia, anxiety, and even suicide.

Experiencing joy and happiness in life is important. When depression gets in the way, efforts to focus on fun can make a difference. Try to get your teen to participate in activities that bring a sense of pleasure. Start by having them jot down a list of anything that is fun, silly, or creates a moment of joy, then try to include one of these in each day’s activities.

Self-help strategies are not intended to replace professional treatment and are best utilized as tools to supplement therapy and/or medication by decreasing symptoms and empowering teens to feel better and more in control of their lives.

If you haven’t already, make it a priority to set up an appointment for your teen with an adolescent therapist. Mental health issues are usually very treatable, especially when there’s emotional support from a mental health professional as well as the teen's family.