Teenage Depression

Becoming a teenager is difficult enough without suffering from depression. Everyday, my 14-year-old son battles with his emotions. Some days he is fine and goes to school but too often he can’t get out of bed. He doesn’t have many friends or outside interests. He is prone to bursts of anger or high energy then breaks down and weeps. He is often bored and tired and disinterested in the world around him.

So when is it just hormones and when is it clinical depression? I’ve been overwhelmed by all this and haven’t known what to do. Family and friends have offered advice but I wasn’t sure what was right for my son. I found that the following websites were very helpful and the information they provided helped me make decisions about my next steps. They provided information on what symptoms to look for and what options are available.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm http://www.focusas.com/Depression.html.

My son is now being treated with mood stabilizers and cognitive behavioral therapy for a diagnosis of Depression. While he still has those bad days, most of them are good. I had to make many difficult decisions to get to this point but am confident that I made the right ones.

Depression can be a serious illness and should be treated as such.