encouraging depression treatment in a teen

[Zoe Girl]

So if you have read about my kids in the family area you already know a lot of this story. My middle kiddo is really making me nervous. Besides her explosiveness with me she is just showing signs of being totally miserable. I looked at her this morning, she did not sleep last night until 3 am which makes her nutty, but she also looked even thinner than usual. Yeah, she is down to 95 lbs now. That is from a top weight of 105. I am not sure what to do on that one, she says all our food sucks, I am trying to stick to a budget and deal with a much smaller house so I do not stock up food like I used to, but I am not willing to have her lose a lot of weight.

I am pretty sure that she will fight me taking her back to the psychiatrist since she does not want to be on medication but I think we really need to.

[Anne Lee]

Yes, you do. All the best.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I looked at her this morning, she did not sleep last night until 3 am which makes her nutty, but she also looked even thinner than usual. Yeah, she is down to 95 lbs now. That is from a top weight of 105.

Well going hungry will tend to interfere with sleep (I know, I've been there). Maybe try melatonin? Also is she consuming caffeine? Downing sodas or even coffee? I do think caffeine will tend to exacerbate emotional problems besides interfering with sleep (anxiety and depression).


I am not sure what to do on that one, she says all our food sucks, I am trying to stick to a budget and deal with a much smaller house so I do not stock up food like I used to, but I am not willing to have her lose a lot of weight.

What food does she like? Junk food? Haha. :) Maybe if you could get her to take an interest in cooking, finding recipes to try etc.? If she herself learned to prepare food she liked .... (unless she's deliberately starving herself, ie is anorexic, in which case deeper issues are at play)


I am pretty sure that she will fight me taking her back to the psychiatrist since she does not want to be on medication but I think we really need to.

Well what are the other options? You could try talk therapy with a psychologist for her (ok the budget issues may interfere here, just thinking if she had someone to talk to that she trusted it might help a lot). I guess you could try certain natural depression treatments, they are supposedly less effective on the more severe depressions but. Why does she resist being on medication anyway? because of side effects?

Hey I know my advice is probably borderline clueless if not utterly clueless, I'm not a parent to a teen and never have been, just throwing ideas out there :)

[screamingflea]

Zoe, my sympathies. You must have it rough under that roof.

I don't remember all the details of who is experiencing what, but (rhetorically) what stressful things does she have going on right now? Maybe there's something going on below the surface that would help explain things. If she doesn't want to be on medication, there are lots of other things one can try - ANM mentioned talk therapy as one. There are also support groups and other community-based things like maybe a mentor program. I'm not saying this to try to steer you away from the medical route, only to offer some other suggestions that you and she might find helpful as a middle ground.

Either way, blessings to you along with my profound respect.

[Zoe Girl]

Thank you all, well something snapped her out of the low mood because seeing her weight yesterday shocked her. She started eating like I would expect (anything and everything) and we went to dinner with my boyfriend. Then this morning she got up super early to take herself to starbucks and go to school early.

I would love talk therapy for her but besides refusing that we simply do not have anywhere near the resources for it right now. The only talk person we found a few years ago that would take my kids was 45 minutes away and even longer in traffic. I took the kids for a long time but I just can't right now. I just know from my own and my family background that correcting the brain chemistry with medication does soooo much good. The sleep issue normalize, eating is more possible (when brain is off all food is just gross or a pain or smells wrong or has the wrong texture), things are realistically happier, etc. She was on meds for a year and really I saw an improvement, however staying on them longer improves over time so going off the medication is not a great idea.

Well we are having a better day today so far!