Adolescent Grief and Depression

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According to Pridmore (n.d, p. 2), some of the symptoms exhibited by an adolescent suffering from grief include shock and incredulity. Initially, the victim develops a sense of denial as a means of coping with 6the situation. He or she becomes insensitive. Another symptom exhibited by adolescents suffering from grief is attempting to commit suicide. In bid to overcome the felling and be reunited with their loved ones, adolescents suffering from grief may decide to take away their life. This is because they look for all the available means to help them overcome the pain they go through. At times the adolescent becomes sexually active (Fitzgerald, 2000, p. 143). For instance, if one has lost his or her loved one, the other relatives in the family may not be in a position to console him or her as they are also going through the same experience. This is the moment when the adolescent would like to have someone close to him or her. In looking for an activity that may help him or her keep away from the pain he or she is experiencing, the victim may decide to engage in sexual activities. The adolescents may also exhibit signs of anger (Pynoos, 1999, pp. 2-10). It is imperative to ensure that they have been given ample time to relieve their anger may be by letting them cry themselves out.

Staudacher posits that the method used in treating adolescent grief is counseling and therapy (2000, p. 45). Different therapists and counselors use varied approaches based on the nature of grief and its causes. Some of the methods used include meditation, art and music therapy, bibliotherapy as well as communicating with the dead for the case of death. The gestalt therapy is also employed by counselors when treating adolescents suffering from grief. In this technique an empty chair is provided for the patient where it is assumed that the deceased is seated on the chair. The adolescent is given an opportunity to speak with the dead in an empty chair. Later, the adolescent is also given a chance to sit on the chair and assume the role of the deceased (Tyson-Rawson, 1996, p. 321). The conversation proceeds in the first person manner with the help of the therapist or counselor.

Some of the symptoms exhibited by an adolescent suffering from depression include irritation, restlessness and agitation (Zuckerbrot, Cheung, Jenson & Stein, 2007, pp. 1299-1312). The victim also experience loss of appetite while at times his or her appetite goes up. It becomes difficult for the parson to concentrate making it hard for him or her to make informed decisions. A person also becomes nervous and easily forgets things. A person loses his esteem and develops a sense of unworthy and self-hatred. It becomes difficult for one to continue participating in his normal activities as his lose fun in them. At times the victim may be found to talk or think about death or committing suicide (Worden, 1991, p. 356). A victim may also be found to exhibit changes in his or her normal behavior with one becoming defiant, engaging in alcohol consumption or even engaging in shoplifting (Melinda & Barston, 2010, para. 4-8).

Cheung et al. (2007, pp. 1313-1326), posits that an adolescent suffering from depression can be prescribed to some antidepressant drugs such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). However some of these drugs if not well administered may activate the desire by the victim to commit suicide. Apart from the drugs, talk therapy is another method that is used to treat adolescent suffering from depression. Talks such as cognitive-behavioral therapy help the victims come up with mechanisms of overcoming their negative thoughts, understand factors that make their depression severe and develop skills to help them solve these problems.

The common similarities between the two occur in their symptoms. In both instances, the victims exhibit a sign of self denial and self-hatred. The victims also think of committing suicide as the ultimate way of overcoming the suffering. In both cases, the victims are found to change their behavior where they start indulging in activities such as alcohol consumption or use of drugs (Cohen, 2006, pp. 76-83).

Reference List

  1. Cheung, A. H., Zuckerbrot, R. A., Jenson, P. S. & Ghalib, K. (2007). Treatment and ongoing management guidelines for adolescent depression in primary care. Pediatrics, 120 (2), pp.1313-1326.
  2. Cohen, J. A. (2006). Treating trauma and traumatic grief in children and adolescents. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
  3. Fitzgerald, H. (2000). The grieving teen. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
  4. Melinda, S. M. & Barston, S. (2010). Teen depression: a guide for parents and teachers.
  5. Pridmore, L. (n.d). Child and adolescent grief.
  6. Pynoos, R. 1999. Grief and trauma in children and adolescent. Bereavement Care, 11, pp. 2-10.
  7. Staudacher, C. A. (2000). A time to grieve: mediations for healing after the death of a loved one. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco.
  8. Tyson-Rawson, K. (1996). Adolescent responses to the death of a parent. Handbook of adolescent death and bereavement. New York: Springer Publishing Co.
  9. Worden, J. W. (1991). Grief counseling and grief therapy, 2nd ed. New York: Springer.
  10. Zuckerbrot, R. A,, Cheung, A. H., Jenson, P. S. & Stein, R. E. (2007). Identification, assessment, and initial management guidelines for adolescent depression in primary care. Pediatrics, 120, pp.1299-1312.
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