How to Motivate A Teenager with Depression

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Ways to Help A Teenager Struggling with Depression Symptoms

Despite the reality that depression is a common issue among people of all ages, it can be frightening for parents of teens to see their child struggling. Adolescence comes with volatile mood swings as it is. When mental health concerns exacerbate teen emotions, it can make you feel helpless in the face of the intensity they are experiencing.

But there are proven treatment services at Artemis Adolescent Healing Center for clients ages 12 to 17, with a full range of depression treatment options available.

Teens might not want to help themselves, so you should know how to motivate a teenager with depression to get the benefit of the treatment options you provide them with.

You can help by setting realistic goals and encouraging self-care, and rewarding your child with extrinsic motivations. Honor the interests they still express pleasure in, if any. And keep communication open, seek family therapy where possible, and do your best to remove stigma around discussing mental health in the household.

Depression is a complex web of issues that need to be addressed holistically for a healthy lifestyle change. At Artemis in Tucson, we offer a safe space for your teen to receive the help they need, with individualized treatment options tailored to their specific needs.

Continue reading to discover ways to motivate your teen to enhance their mental health, and remember our caring staff are only a confidential phone call away for immediate support.

Why Should You Identify Major Depression in Teens Early?

Teen depression is a serious condition that impacts millions of adolescents annually. Parents might feel helpless in the face of a teen’s withdrawal and mood swings. Especially when they present with riskier behaviors like self-harm, parents need to seek help for teen depression.

Knowing the warning signs of a teen’s mood condition can make all the difference in getting them help before it’s too late. Some of the symptoms you might notice include:

• Low self-esteem
• Persistent sadness or irritability
• Low energy
• Loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed
• Social withdrawal
• Mood swings or uncharacteristic outbursts
• Rapid changes in physical health, like unexplained aches or weight loss

These symptoms should last more than two weeks for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Keep in mind that depression is more than just a “bad day.” This is a recurring issue that typically doesn’t relent without some form of professional intervention.

Getting professional help lets your teen know that they’re not in this struggle alone. The earlier you can get them into treatment, the more effective it can be in the long run. You and a therapist can help teach coping skills that will last for a lifetime, even if this depression turns into a recurring issue.

How Do You Motivate a Teen with Depression?

Concern for a teen’s well-being consumes most parents, even for those without depressed teens. The problem is that it can be incredibly hard to motivate a teenager with mood issues to want to get better or to feel like it’s possible to improve their condition.

Offering a consistent support system is key, but what can you do to practically encourage your teen to try the activities that they once enjoyed? How can you motivate them to get better day by day?

Here are a few ways you can establish a supportive environment in your own home as you work to get them professional help.

How Do You Set Realistic Expectations for Healthy Habits?

As a parent, it can feel disheartening to see your teenager slip away from you. You might wonder if they will ever be able to achieve your hopes and dreams for them. But setting high expectations for a teenager who has major depression can feel demoralizing to the person suffering.

Instead, you should focus on setting realistic expectations for healthy habits.

A depressed teenager might find it extremely difficult to manage everyday activities like showering or setting up healthy sleep routines. Parents should scale back their expectations and set small, more achievable goals to accomplish daily activities. By breaking big tasks into bite-sized pieces and providing accessible mental health tips, your teen has ample opportunity for achievement and success.

Once they do accomplish the tasks that you both established, make sure to reward them. Every step away from major depressive disorder is worthy of celebration.

Should You Use Extrinsic Motivation for Depressed Teens?

Teen depression symptoms can feel overwhelming for both parents and teens alike. Even if your child previously functioned well with intrinsic motivation, it might be time for another approach when severe depression hits. Many teens respond better to extrinsic motivation.

Find out what they find the most motivating: a trip to the movies, a favorite snack, an activity that you do together. When they can achieve the small, realistic expectations that you set for them earlier, you have a chance to reward them for their effort.

Praise can also be a form of extrinsic motivation, allowing them to experience pleasure in the act of making someone else happy. Even a small acknowledgment of their effort can be powerful to relieve mental health symptoms.

Just remember that you will eventually have to scale back this type of motivation in order to restore their reliance on intrinsic motivation. However, it can be especially helpful in the early stages of any teenage depression.

How Can You Encourage Self-Care and Honor Your Teen’s Interests?

When we think of self-care for depression, we often think of simple tasks like bubble baths, naps, or even a vigorous workout. Make sure to take the time to tell your teen to work at their own pace, but encourage them to take care of themselves — whatever that means to them.

This could involve providing support to help them prepare a healthy meal or offering access to technology for guided meditation. Provide them with the materials to journal or create art that expresses what they are going through. Teens need lots of outlets to express their feelings.

You may even start spending time with them, doing activities that they used to enjoy. If they feel like they can no longer enjoy their old hobbies, you may want to encourage them to breathe new life into them or find a new way to manage their feelings.

How Can Parents Remove the Stigma of Major Depressive Disorder for Teens?

Oftentimes, a depressed teenager feels like there is something wrong with them for feeling this way. They get mired in negative thought patterns that tell them they are broken or damaged. Even if they have access to a mental health professional, they might feel beyond help.

The best thing you can do to help depressed teens is to constantly reiterate that there is nothing wrong with them. This doesn’t mean invalidating their feelings. Rather, it entails reminding your teen that major depressive disorder is common. After all, five million teens have experienced depression in the last year.

Help educate them on the warning signs and professional treatment options used to treat depression. By taking away the stigma, they can move past this layer of shame and surrender to the treatment you arranged for them.

Avoid Expressing Frustration: How to Communicate with a Depressed Teenager

Part of the process of healing from depression is creating positive relationships that your teen knows they can rely on. One of the warning signs of depression is withdrawal and isolation, even from those relationships that were strong and healthy. The best thing you can do now is keep open communication.

Let your teen know that you are here to offer support and that you can handle hearing about struggles they might face. You can model positive self-talk for them, giving them words and affirmations they can repeat when you’re not present to offer emotional support.

You should also avoid expressing frustration with their mental health condition. When a teen struggles with depression, they are likely already frustrated with themselves. Knowing that they have a similar effect on others is disheartening and can worsen symptoms by further isolating them.

If you need a safe space to express your frustration, you may consider individual therapy for yourself.

Is Family Therapy Necessary in Depression Treatment?

Working with a depressed teenager is difficult and all-consuming at times. Parents often feel that they need to enlist the help of a mental health professional for their child, but they ignore the need for more intensive family therapy as well.

Family members should be active participants in the therapeutic approach to major depression. This type of therapy helps sift through the ways that family contributes to depression, how they can help someone struggling in the family unit, and provides a roadmap for moving out of this difficult season.

To help teens regain their self-esteem and positive emotions, you’ll need to seek professional help from a place like Artemis Adolescent Healing Center that specializes in teens who have mental health issues. We’ll work with the entire family unit to motivate a teenager to move past negative emotions and toward the healing process.

Help Your Child Get Support to Heal from Depression at Artemis

Get help for a teenager with depression as soon as possible. Artemis Adolescent Healing Center in Tucson has the experience to come alongside your family in a difficult time and offer the supportive environment that teens need to overcome and cope with their mood issues, including depression.

Every teen who comes through our doors is treated to a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to their unique warning signs, struggles, and interests. We tailor our approach to their specific circumstances and developmental stage, ensuring that they get everything they need to thrive.

Our enrollment team is ready and waiting to answer your questions about how to help a teenager with depression. We’ll come alongside you to take those tentative first steps toward professional help. In a brief, confidential phone call, we learn your needs and verify your insurance benefits to determine if our rehab is the right fit.

Call today to reserve your spot and start to motivate your teenager to overcome their mood disorder now with effective support!

References

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2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Child and adolescent mental health. National Institute of Mental Health.
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7. Waraan, L., Siqveland, J., Hanssen-Bauer, K., Czjakowski, N. O., Axelsdóttir, B., Mehlum, L., & Aalberg, M. (2023). Family therapy for adolescents with depression and suicidal ideation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 28(2), 831–849.