Teen depression can be defined as a serious mental condition where the teen experiences prolonged feelings of sadness, negativity, and irritability. These feelings permeate through their social and personal life, causing them to become withdrawn and lonely, thus affecting their self-image and physical life.

Teenagers of this generation are required to create a mark for themselves and rise from the choices they make. Choices that are confusing, stress filled and chaotic. Very often teenagers themselves don't understand the gravity of the consequences of the choices they have made.

Pleasure seeking and impulsiveness are honored by the media often causing teenagers to make the wrong choices and slide down the road of depression and guilt.

Teenagers are bound to go through a series of emotional ups and downs. However, there is a difference in behavior when they are experiencing their occasional blues and in the behavior when they are unknowingly slipping into depression. Recognizing and identifying these symptoms early on may lead you to help your teenager before their situation becomes critical.

Look out for the following behavior in your teenager and seek help if they last for more than two weeks:

1) Lack of interest in normal activities/friends.

2) Poor grades and complete neglect of studies.

3) Prolonged feelings of sadness.

4) Neglecting one's appearance (e.g. not bathing for days together)

5) Poor appetite or excessive eating.

6) Inability to sleep well at night/ Sleeping too much

7) Increased sensitivity to criticism.

8) Withdraw from family or friends

9) Lack of energy and motivation

10) Inability to focus or make a decision

11) Increased irritability and anger

12) Hurting oneself -cutting their hands, burning oneself, extreme piercing or tattooing

13) Feelings of shame or guilt

14) Slowed body movements, looking and feeling extremely lethargic

15) Increased restlessness

16) Frequent mentioning of death/suicide