When it’s more than just a bad mood
A Parent’s Guide to Mood Disorders in Teens
We Accept Insurance
Understand if your teen’s mood is a normal phase or a sign they need help
Learn the key differences between conditions like depression, bipolar, and intense irritability
Go from feeling helpless about their pain to having a clear first step to help them heal.
Watching your teen struggle with intense, persistent sadness or irritability is heartbreaking. You’re left wondering what’s normal teenage angst and what might be a sign that they need more support. If their moods are starting to control their life—and yours—you’re in the right place.
This isn’t about a lack of willpower; it’s about a health challenge that, with the right care, can get better. These resources will help you understand what might be happening so you can take the first step toward getting them the help they deserve.
Understanding specific mood disorders
Here are guides to help you understand what your teen may be experiencing.
- Major depressive disorder in teens: For when sadness becomes a heavy, constant weight that crushes their energy, changes their sleep or appetite, and steals their interest in things they used to love.
- Persistent depressive disorder in teens: Learn about this chronic, low-grade depression—a “gray cloud” that lingers for years, draining your teen’s joy and making them feel down more days than not.
- Bipolar disorder in teens: A guide to understanding the intense and disruptive shifts between depressive lows (sadness, exhaustion) and manic highs (unusual energy, racing thoughts, risky behavior).
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder in teens: For teens with severe, persistent irritability and frequent, intense temper outbursts that are far out of proportion to the situation.