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The
reasons it can be difficult to diagnose depression
in adolescents are:
Teens
do not always have the verbal skill or vocabulary
to be able to express exactly what or how they
are feeling;
The
symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder are
often different in children / teenagers than they
are in adults;
A
teen might have a dual diagnosis, with the more
"obvious" illness masking an underlying
problem with depression;
Physicians
often do not expect to see mood disorders in teens
so they simply do not look for them.
A
depressed adolescent may be disruptive, begin
showing academic difficulties, and start to develop
problems with peer relationships. They may be
irritable and aggressive. Often the only way these
teens can express their feelings is by saying
they hate themselves and their family. They may
threaten suicide, but lack of a suicide threat
does not mean they are not at risk.
Bipolar
disorder also expresses itself differently
in teenagers than in adults. Rather than bouts
of euphoric moods, the bipolar teen may express
the manic behavior through aggression or temper
tantrums. Parents report these teens are very
"moody, irritable, and aggressive."
These children may have sudden outbursts of anger
or crying jags or might seem to be agitated for
prolonged periods of time. Many clinicians describe
bipolar disorder in this group as more "chronic"
rather than "acute."
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