Mood swings and depression in puberty.

Mood swings are typical at adolescence and most teenagers at some point will fluctuate between feeling of deep joy and happiness followed by despondency and misery or intense anger.

These powerful emotions are part of adolescence as the teenager opens up to the possibility of new ways of being related to others. Most teenagers learn to cope with these highs and lows and are able to share their feelings with friends, who become extremely important to them at this age.

Many teenagers, however, will experience some degree of depression at a number of points in their adolescence. While for some it will be a temporary state due to a reaction to an external event that resolve within a short period, for others it is more serious and can have far-reaching consequences. Depression often lies behind many teenage problem behaviours and can have a number of causes, including a history of neglect, abuse, an unstable family background or bullying.

Whereas it is normal for adolescents to withdraw from the family and become moody at times, the depressed teenager will spend longer periods in their bedrooms and have little inclination to spend time with friends. They will appear morose and may be in a continual black, heavy mood, not bother about anything or anyone. There may be some more severe signs of depression, such us not going to school, consistent poor marks, aggressive behaviour outside the home, self-harming, alcohol or drug abuse or talking about suicide, all of which need to be taken extremely seriously.

Teenagers who are depressed need a lot of support and understanding from their families and often from experts. Many schools now have counsellors to work with teenagers with emotional difficulties. If a teenager needs help to cope with their difficult moods, it is always better to consult with a Homeopath as well as seek support from a counsellor.