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Showing posts from September, 2018

October 2018: Depression & Mental Health Screening Month

In the United States, October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month. Perhaps the question we are asked most often is, "How can I tell the difference between normal adolescent moods and depression or some other type of mental illness?" It is normative for pre-adolescents and adolescents to have big, loud, dramatic emotions.  These can shift quickly:  one minute they are laughing with their friends and the next they're shouting at you, angry that you embarrassed them by saying, "What's so funny?"  It is also normative for middle schoolers to be irritable, grumpy, secretive and irrational or for them to be bubbly, enthusiastic and passionate about a new issue every week.  It comes down to trusting your gut:  you've lived with your child for 11, 12, 13, or 14 years- if their behavior and mood appears to have changed drastically and you're worried, it is probably a good idea to address it, particularly if it has been going on for more