My 13 yr old may have clinical depression - how are young teens treated?

If you are looking at diet, then the link below may be very helpful. There's a lot of reading to work through, but the info seems solid and well researched.

If the change in behavior has been a significant shift, +/- ties in with her body's maturation, then that might point to a physical cause e.g. puberty & hormones.

It also sounds like drug-taking, particularly the telling lies, stealing and rages - but blood/hair tests could swiftly check out this possibility...?

If you find yourself exploring the psychiatric options, then you could do worse than read the booklets from MIND (link below) as a starting point. They're independent, straight-forward and highly informative, plus give additional reading lists for those who wish to research more deeply.

P.S. Be quite clear as to the difference between a psychiatrist (usually a psychopharmacologist who believes in 'chemical imbalances' and prescribes medication) and a psychologist (explores the root issue).

about 5 years ago, I started to fall into a really depressive episode. At first I thought it was only because I had a bad break from a relationship but the feelings wouldn't go away even after I got a new girlfriend. It was wrecking my life until a point where it was seriously affecting my work and personal life.

She was very worried but at the same time couldn't understand why I was still sad and thought that I still couldn't let go of my previous relationship. Being the wonderful person that she is, she put aside her feelings and suggested I go for psychiatric evaluation. Many months later and even more anti-depressants, I was not coming close to being better at all.

After doing some research online, I found out the real cause as you described it really makes a lot of sense and purchased this program. The results were simply astonishing. I read this book over three times and put all words in action. Using this method, I've kept my depression at bay ever since. Up to date I'm still living happily with my girlfriend.

Depression Free Method?

I have a history of clinical depression and my teenage daughter also was showing symptoms similar to the ones you describe. I have been under the care of an excellent psychiatrist for years so I was aware of all the self-help treatment to initiate for my daughter. Those self-help treatments of exercise, diet, good balance of socializing and sleep, seemed to help a little. However, one day we were in the living room and I happened to look down at her shoes and her ankles were showing. She had been cutting her ankles in an effort to get relief from her depression. I knew at that moment she needed medication immediately to get her out of the ditch. I really did not want the stigma of medication to follow her and I was scared of the potentially fatal side-effect of antidepressants in teens. But, the bottom line is I felt like I was a failure as a parent if my child was on medication for mental illness ie depression. Frankly, if all the self-help solutions were going to help, they would have. My daughter was put on medication and was closely monitored by her psychiatrist, me and her father, which included reading her email and snooping for signs of suicide. I have no guilt about that at all. She was on medication for less than a year and was in one-on-one talk therapy at the same time. She stabilized, was tapered off meds and therapy. She has been stable, depression and medication free for over two years. I would keep a low-keyed approach with a teenager so they do not feel that 'being crazy' is their identity and is the behavior that gets 'the best in the state'. Sometimes kids need the best love their parents have to offer instead of the best money can buy. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

Doctors have their protocol.... that includes drugs, usuallly,

Hormone imbalances account for most mental illness, including depression,

in addition (and you can ask them if you dont believe it) they dont usually test for hormone imbalances in teens.... and your family history says that they should test for that and you also.... now, and you can ask this too, their 'normal' range in hormones (ie, thyroid, sex, adrenals) is so huge that it excludes all but the most severe imbalances, when in fact, a person can be 50% or more off their normal feelings and life energies,etc.... and it will read 'normal' in that huge range... when they are NOT>.... a resource below by doctors...

leading experts...

So, yes, along with vit/minerals , I think eniva products are suprerb at resource below, also.... change of diet, exercise...

I would zero in on the hormones.... and the blood tests used are only testing what is in the blood, and the saliva tests are more sensative to what is acutally bioavailable to the body to use....

The only ones using the saliva tests are some expert doctors and naturopathics..... another resource below..

For the most part the doctors trained in hormones (endos) are dealing with the diabetic epedemic, and leaving everyone else to deal with it the best they can, when there are millions of people more and more miserable... many feel it is partly due to the envioronmental estrogens in everything.... etc...

For what it is worth, my opinion... take care

Well, from personal experience(I'm 27 now, but have had depression since I was 13), not a lot. Doctors are reluctant to prescribe antidepressants to youngsters. I had to wait until I was 21 before any doctors really did anything. Up until that point, all that would happen was that the doctor sat me down and had a chat. Although CBT(look it up) is effective, which is therapy, but not using drugs. It might be they suggest a course of that. If not, ask about putting her on it.

i'm a teen and i was diagnosed with depression about 8 months ago. You are right they try not to give drugs to teens because of the side effects (they can mess with growing and stuff) but i was put into Counseling that is designed for people in their teens. It has been heaps of help i recommend it i can't believe i denied anything was wrong for so long looking back i never want to be that way again

At school i had a lot of friends who were on anti-depressants. A lot of kids stop coping with pressure of school. If you have been on anti-depressants you will know that sometimes they can be the factor that makes you help yourself because before that you feel too bad about yourself.

I would trust what your doctor reccommends but remember that doctors, like all people, all have their opinions of right and wrong and whatever they say should not be taken as gospel.

Wow...you're a good mom. I have no idea how children are treated for things like this but, I know several parents who will look away for years before they even think to bring their kid to a doctor for such behavior.

You, however, are right on top of it.

You're a good Mom.

She's very lucky : )

they may reccommed therapy, but they might just go ahead and tell you that it's something like Bipolar Disorder (they tell that to EVERYONE now a days)

It's smarter to go to a pshycologist rather than a regular doctor, they're better researched. See someone who specializes in depression.

When I was a young teen and lived with chronic depression, I did lots of drugs. It really helped, made my life a thousand times better.

But sounds like ur kid is already on drugs.