Depression

[LaKecias]

How do you deal with emotional problems and or depression with your teens.

[hkckk5]

My children are grown now but i do have teen granddaughters. One of them seem to be depressed and her mother took her to a doctor. They decided to put the teen on a low dose medication. It seem to have helped her.

[kimber62372]

I am not one to run to medication for anything. Even when I was depressed my doctor prescribed xanex and another drug that I am not familiar with. Everyone has the capability to get themselves out of the funk. Medication is not the answer. Counseling and someone to confide is are great components.

[ajamimajida]

my 28 year old daughter took her own life last year.  She had severe depression but refused to get help for it.

[ancmetro]

    The transition from childhood to adulthood is difficult.

[annadote]

I'm not a parent, but I was a teen with depression issues. The only thing I have to offer is to take their feelings seriously. Don't tell them that they can just choose to be happy or feel better. Take what they say seriously please.

[sdenimandlace1]

Depression is hard.  There are a lot of ways to work through it.

[froggylover227]

I don't have a teenager, but I myself suffer from postpartum depression and anxiety. It can be hard. Sometimes I feel like nobody understands me, and I think that contributes to the depression and anxiety. So try to relate to the teen, and try to get them to understand that you understand, even if you really don't. Also, for the longest time, I was dead against medicines. But it got so bad for me, that I caved and just decided to give some medicine a try. I definitely feel like they have helped me. I'm not saying they are a cure-all, but they sure took the edge off and relieved some of the tension. There is nothing wrong with needing medicine to help, so if the teen does need medicine, do not make them feel as if it is a bad thing. Let them know it is there to help them. Overall, I would say that support is the best thing a person can provide to another person who is suffering from depression and/or anxiety.

[Mizzkizz7]

My son is 19 yrs but never really displayed depression, but anxiety. The only med he's ever taken was for ADHD. I myself suffer from major depression and anxiety. The best thing to do is to get your teen into therapy to figure out what the issue is and in turn he will be prescribed medication. It helps a lot.

[michele2042]

I am not one to run to medication for anything. Even when I was depressed my doctor prescribed xanex and another drug that I am not familiar with. Everyone has the capability to get themselves out of the funk. Medication is not the answer. Counseling and someone to confide is are great components.

With all due respect, Medication may not have been the answer for you but to think that "everyone has the capability to get themselves out of the funk" is reckless.   Yes, if it's simply a 'funk" most of us can get ourselves out of it with help from friends or family but there are cases of depression that require medication.   There can be times of a chemical imbalance in the brain.  I also am not one to run to medications and I believe for the most part drugs are over prescribed but to think everyone can get themselves out of it is dangerous.   That kind of thinking can send a depressed person deeper into despair because someone told them to just get over it.   

[Cbsteffen]

I think you should also ask, “How would you deal with emotional problems if you had teens?” for those who don’t watch over teens but still want to imagine doing so. If I were to even have kids and had to help them with losing a temper, I would share with them my membership with a site called HAPPYneuron and see if they would like a membership if they got to be old enough to try it. The games meant to strengthen reasoning have helped me hide my temper.

[countrygirl12]

    The transition from childhood to adulthood is difficult.

No it isn't.  If kids were not so coddled and taught the world revolves around them and they get trophies for everything just for showing up and that nobody can tell you no - life would be easier.  Kids get a real slap in the face when they get to adult hood and find out the world is not a bed of cotton candy and roses.

[debidoo]

I have grown sons two of them and like their dad both suffer from depression. It hurts me to see and I see it with my older son on an almost daily basis because he lives with me.  He refuses to consider medication but the younger son went to the dr and got some low dose medication.  Now that I am older, have severe mobility issues and my husband died I too am suffering from it so I guess it is over my whole family.  I just pray a lot.

[camellia0]

You need to seek help for them. I worked for a county office dealing with school-aged children and depression. The kids may not want to participate in programs but as the parent or concerned love one, you have to go to agencies to seek help for the child and yourself. It is tough but be involved in the child, don't be like 'this is a phase, they will get over it'. There are programs out there.

[haimsterette]

my 28 year old daughter took her own life last year.  She had severe depression but refused to get help for it.

I am so sorry. I imagine that is one of the most difficult things to endure in life.

For depression in teens... I was extremely, paralyzingly depressed as a teen. Medication didn't help. A couple years ago I started taking a few different herbal supplements for depression/anxiety and it worked VERY well. Besides that, trying to force myself to get out of the house more; keeping busy; letting my feelings out in a journal; finding something I enjoy to do in my free time. All that really benefited me. I think it could be of use to teens as well.