Knowing the symptoms of depression can help you discover if you or someone you love is suffering from it. There are reliable signs of this mood disorder in teenage girls and young women.

In this Mental Health Guide article we will provide a list of signs and symptoms of depression in teenage girls to help you diagnose yourself or someone else.

If you believe you might be depressed, talk to your family doctor or a counselor about your symptoms. Treatment is readily available for this mood disorder, and many people find relief and the help they need to get their life back on track.

If you believe that someone close to you is depressed, talk with a doctor or mental health professional to find out about treatment options where you live. Then use this list and approach the person about your concern. Offer to help them and tell them about the treatment options. Emphasize that they are often quite successful and encourage the person to consider seeking help.

Here are the most common symptoms of depression in females from adolescence through young adulthood.

• Persistent feelings of sadness that last more than one month
• Feeling empty or that life is hopeless
• Loss of energy or a feeling tired much of the time
• A loss of interest in activities or subjects you normally enjoy
• Thoughts of suicide or of harming yourself
• Wishing you were dead
• Difficulty in paying attention or remembering details
• Loss of appetite or eating too much as a way to feel better
• Physical symptoms such as stomach pain or headaches that don’t get better with treatment
• Irritability or anger
• Not being able to sleep or sleeping too much
• Drug or alcohol addictions

No teenager or young women will have all of these symptoms of depression. However, most will have at least 5 or 6, and some have more.

If you believe you may have depression and are a minor, talk with a parent or trusted adult. Simply tell them you think you might be clinically depressed. If you are an adult, seek help from your doctor as well as the support of others that you trust.

Treatment is often very successful, reducing symptoms are causing them to disappear altogether. It often involves counseling, medication and positive life change.

The first step is to seek help and be evaluated. Then you can get the treatment you need to feel better and get your life moving in the right direction again.