At our mental health treatment center for teens, we understand how difficult this time is for the parents and families of a struggling teen. Our therapeutic and clinical team will provide therapeutic support, resources, and guidance for the family unit during the entire process.
Teen Depression: Guiding the Path to Healing
BNI Treatment Centers: Specialized Los Angeles Depression Treatment
According to the World Health Organization, about 13% of 10-19-year-olds struggle with a mental disorder. Depression, sometimes known as major depressive disorder, is one of the most common mental illnesses among adolescents, and yet many teens suffer in silence from their depression. Depression treatment for teens is crucial as the condition can significantly deteriorate health, happiness, and overall quality of life. For teens, this can mean losing interest in hobbies they once enjoyed, declining school performance, fracturing relationships with loved ones, and so much more. If your teen is struggling with depression, it’s essential they seek professional treatment to safely and effectively manage their depression symptoms.
At BNI, we are a teen mental health treatment center committed to helping teens ages 12-17 struggling with mental illness. We know treating depression looks unique for everyone, so offer a range of treatments from medical detoxification to residential treatment, outpatient care, and more to help your teen wherever they may be on their recovery journey. Our compassionate team at our depression treatment center in Los Angeles has extensive experience helping teens struggling with a range of mental health conditions, including specialized teenage depression treatment.
If your teen is depressed and struggling with mental illness, contact us to learn more about how we can help them live a happier, healthier quality of life.
Experience. Connect. Grow.
BNI Treatment offers your teen a path forward.
TEEN DEPRESSION & WELLNESS
Common Signs and Symptoms of Teen Depression
Getting a proper diagnosis is the first essential step toward getting your teen the help that they need to better manage their depression symptoms. However, it can sometimes be difficult to tell if your teen is just feeling down or struggling with depression. While we all have bad days every now and then, if your teen has been persistently showing signs of depression, it’s critical they seek professional depression treatment for teens to better manage their symptoms and regain control of their life.
Unsure if your teen is struggling with depression? Below are several symptoms to look out for:
- Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness
- Loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed
- Low self-esteem
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Having difficulties concentrating or making decisions
- Having thoughts about suicide
- Lack of energy
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Using drugs or alcohol to self-medicate
- Declining school performance or attendance
If your teen is showing any of the above signs of depression, it’s essential they seek professional help. Our teen depression treatment center in Southern California offers a broad range of treatment programs and services to best help each teen lead a healthier, happier, more balanced quality of life.
There is no single cause for depression. Several psychological, physiological, and environmental causes are at play that can cause a teen to struggle with depression. This can include a range of causes like:
- Abnormal brain chemistry
- Hormonal imbalance
- Genetics/inherited traits
- Early childhood trauma
Many risk factors can cause a teen to develop depression, including:
- Struggling with something that lowers their self-esteem (i.e., obesity)
- Being a victim of physical or sexual abuse
- Struggling with a chronic illness or ongoing pain
- Abusing drugs or alcohol
- Having low self-esteem
- Being overly self-critical
Your Teen's Future is Bright
What to Expect from Our Depression Treatment Program in Los Angeles
It can be scary asking for help. However, if you or your teen is struggling with depression, it’s critical you seek professional help to better manage your depression symptoms and get back to leading a happier, healthier life. We offer several levels of care to meet patients wherever they may be on their recovery journey.
These treatment programs include our:
Unfortunately, many teens struggling with depression may turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their mental disorders. If you are struggling with both depression and addiction, we offer a drug detox program to help you safely and effectively recover from addiction.
Our residential treatment program is an intensive program that offers 24/7 support so your teen can heal and better manage their depression symptoms.
Our PHP (partial hospitalization program) provides high-level outpatient care to teens struggling with mental illness (like depression) or a dual diagnosis. Consider this a step down from residential/inpatient treatment.
Our IOP (intensive outpatient program) is a great treatment option for teens struggling with mild to moderate mental disorders. This treatment allows your teen to still prioritize their recovery while still having the flexibility to attend school and continue residing at home.
What We Treat
Primary Mental Health
Primary Mental Health
Our primary mental health program offers an integrative wellness model that aims to offer high-quality treatment designed for success.
Behavioral Issues
Behavioral Issues
Our behavioral health program for teens & adolescents with behavioral issues can help teach your teen healthy coping skills to build a foundation for their future.
Dual-Diagnosis
Dual-Diagnosis
The dual-diagnosis program at BNI Treatment Center provides our clients with a foundation for long-term healing & recovery.
Request a Confidential Callback
Our caring admissions team is standing by ready to help your teen or adolescent. Call us 24/7 or fill out our free form to request a callback right now.
Comprehensive Depression Treatment for Adolescents and Teenagers
Not all recovery journeys are the same. In other words, not all teens struggling with depression may benefit from the same treatment plan. That’s why our teen depression treatment center in Southern California offers a wide range of comprehensive treatment services so adolescents can receive the best possible care to help them take back their life for the better.
Our teen depression treatment center offers a range of therapies, including:
- CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)
- DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy)
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Alternative therapies (i.e., yoga, music therapy, etc.)
- Medications
- Dual Diagnosis treatment
- On-site academic support
Our therapist team offers a wide range of both modern and traditional therapy options to ensure your teen is receiving the best possible treatment for their recovery needs. This may include oftentimes combining both traditional and alternative therapies to help your teen effectively manage their depression symptoms.
Unfortunately, many teens who struggle with untreated depression may turn to drugs or alcohol as a means to self-medicate their depression symptoms, which can inevitably lead to addiction. Our dual diagnosis treatment also provides comprehensive mental illness and addiction treatment for teens who may be struggling with both a mental and substance use disorder simultaneously.
We also offer on-site academic support because we know it can be challenging for a teen to prioritize their recovery needs while progressing in their academics. For example, if your teen attends our residential treatment program, not only will they receive teen depression therapy, but they’ll receive help with schoolwork so they don’t fall behind in their academics.
Treatment of Teen Depression
Certain limitations exist for treating a teenager with depression, as antidepressants can have a variety of adverse side effects. Potential side effects include weight gain, fatigue, sleep disorders, sexual problems, nausea, and headaches. In addition, there is an FDA black box warning attached to antidepressants regarding increased risk of suicidal thinking or attempts in patients under age 24.
While prescribing antidepressants to a teen may be a necessary intervention that yields successful results, many doctors prefer to try other treatment methods first. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a first line treatment for teen depression, provided in both individual sessions and group therapy sessions. Certain types of therapy work best for teens, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and process-oriented therapy. Therapy can help the adolescent identify the issues that are causing the depression, as well as help them establish new ways of coping with psychosocial stressors so common during the teen years.
Psychotherapy for Teen Depression
Teens are often reticent to discuss their emotional issues with a parent. Sometimes a teen will feel more open to sharing about a sensitive issue with a therapist. Knowing that the topics discussed will remain confidential offers the teen a safe space to open up and talk about the problems they are having at school, in relationships, or within the family.
Psychotherapy offers an opportunity for the adolescent to gain clarity about the feelings or interpersonal conflicts they are experiencing that may be contributing to the crippling depression. The therapist can guide the teen to explore his or her feelings, providing an accepting environment where they will not be judged. This connection with the therapist gives the teen a sense they are not alone with their problems, as well as actionable steps the teen can take to make positive changes.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a short-term form of psychotherapy that can offer rapid symptoms reduction. It works by helping the teen recognize negative self-messaging that fuel the feelings of low self-worth, despair, and hopelessness. During CBT once the thought distortions are identified the teen is then guided toward replacing them with reframed thoughts that are healthy, rational, and constructive. Once the cognitive distortions are addressed, a therapist can guide the teen toward generating new solutions.
Psychodynamic therapy. Psychodynamic psychotherapy offers a more intensive exploration of past emotional issues or trauma that might be influencing the depressed mood. The teen may harbor deep emotional struggles and conflicts as a result of childhood abuse, neglect, or trauma. This longer term therapy provides the time and space for the therapist to help draw the painful issues to the surface so they can be discussed openly, processed, and eventually healed.
Family therapy. Family-focused therapy is often provided along with another form of one-on-one psychotherapy. These sessions include family members, allowing the teen to open up and discuss their struggles with them. The therapist uses various exercises for the family to engage in to help elicit honest discussion while guiding the family towards more effective communication skills.
Leading Depression Treatment Center in Los Angeles
It can be difficult watching your child struggle with depression. Depression is more than just feeling sad for a couple of days. Depression involves persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and unworthiness that can negatively impact all areas of someone’s life. If you suspect your teen is struggling with depression, it’s important you help them seek professional treatment to better manage their symptoms and take back control over their lives.
At BNI, our depression treatment center in Los Angeles offers a wide range of treatment programs and therapies to ensure each patient receives the exact care they need to progress along their recovery journey. We understand that no two teens’ recovery journeys are the same. That’s why we offer a wide variety of treatment services and tailored treatment plans to best suit the recovery needs of your teen.
Contact us today for more information about how we can help your teen better manage their depression symptoms.