Personal stories about people deciding whether to use medications to treat childhood and adolescent depression
These stories are based on information gathered from doctors and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.
Neal, father of Tyler, age 13: Tyler has always loved playing soccer, has had a lot of friends, and his grades have been average. Since starting junior high school, though, Tyler has decided he is not good enough to play soccer and he quit the team. He doesn't hang out with the friends he used to have in grade school, is irritable most of the time, and prefers to be alone. Occasionally he still jokes around with his younger brothers and is able to laugh with them at pranks they pull on one another. His grades have slipped a little, but he does do his homework daily. At a routine checkup, his mother asked our doctor whether Tyler could be depressed. After asking Tyler a few questions, the doctor said he didn't think so, but he recommended that we watch him for further signs of depression. We've encouraged him to join a few after-school activities. For now, we're taking a wait-and-see approach.
Tisha, mother of Sarah, age 11: Sarah has gone from an outgoing, happy child to a quiet child who worries about everything. If Sarah is not crying, she is irritable and moody. She has stopped all interest in her favorite hobbies and doesn't seem to enjoy anything in her daily life. She sleeps a lot and has gained more than 10 pounds over the past month. She's been acting this way for around 6 months. I took Sarah to a child counselor, who said she has mild to moderate depression. The counselor recommended that Sarah try an antidepressant along with the counseling to try to improve her mood and lessen the impact of the depression. I think the medication might help, and Sarah is willing to try one or two medications until the right medication is found.
Adrien, father of Heather, age 16: After Heather broke up with her boyfriend, she cried all the time. She has a lot of friends who called to console her. She thought that if she could only get his attention, the boyfriend would want her back. My wife caught Heather going through our medicine cabinet looking for pills that might make her sick, so we took her to the doctor who recommended a therapist. Heather is seeing the therapist, but we've decided not to put her on medication. We think her problem came from this one situation with the boyfriend, and once she learns some new coping skills, we hope she'll be better able to handle future disappointments.
Lasandra, mother of Jerome, age 15: Jerome got caught smoking at school, and I suspected he had been drinking alcohol. Jerome was arguing with his teachers and with me and said no one understands him. He would listen to music with angry lyrics or sit alone in his room in the dark. I found a list Jerome wrote identifying who should get his things should something happen to him. I dragged him to a counselor, as he didn't want to go. The counselor said Jerome was severely depressed. His father had been diagnosed with depression several years ago. After a few sessions with the counselor, Jerome agreed to try an antidepressant. His dad and I will help him stick with his medication schedule for as long as it takes for Jerome to get better.
| Author: | Jeannette Curtis Lila Havens | Last Updated: April 25, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Gisele Ferguson, MD, FRCPC - Psychiatry, Child and Youth Psychiatry | |
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