Depression in teens

My 16 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in June. Today he had an appointment with his dr and they referred him to a social worker. He scored a 21 out of 27 on a depression screening. He will start seeing someone next week.

What is going to happen? Will he live with this forever?

It's absolutely terrifying. I'm more nervous about this than I was about the diabetes.

My brother is schizophrenic and I basically lost him when he was around 17. He's living but trapped in a world of mental illness and medication. I see him regularly but we haven't had a conversation in 20 years.

I lost the love of my life to depression.

I'm scared that I will lose my son too.

What a shitty disease!

Posted by xghy
How is his diet?

I'm sure not as great as it should be. He never wants breakfast, he has lunch at school and I cook relatively healthy every night but when he's out with his friends it's pizza.

Since his diagnosis he has eliminated candy and soda. He's on insulin. It started at 4 shots a day but now he is down to 1 nightly and one if he eats a meal over 100 grams of carbs.

Posted by Shadowcat

Posted by Deedee86
My 16 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in June. Today he had an appointment with his dr and they referred him to a social worker. He scored a 21 out of 27 on a depression screening. He will start seeing someone next week.

What is going to happen? Will he live with this forever?

It's absolutely terrifying. I'm more nervous about this than I was about the diabetes.

My brother is schizophrenic and I basically lost him when he was around 17. He's living but trapped in a world of mental illness and medication. I see him regularly but we haven't had a conversation in 20 years.

I lost the love of my life to depression.

I'm scared that I will lose my son too.

What a shitty disease!

Hey so if I were you, I wouldpush for a cognitive behavioral therapist. Specifically. Whether or not his condition is severe enough for him to be put on medication is a discussion you and his therapist should have. Cbt with medication ie the most effective way to combat depression. That being said, not everyone who is depressed needs meds. Talk to his therapist qbout it, specifically.

click to expand

Medication scares me because I see what that did to my brother.

This whole thing is overwhelming

Posted by LadyNeptune

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Okay, I can tell you a few things, because I have or had diagnosed depression. It is a shitty disease, but it can be healed. Definetely push for Cognitive Therapy because its about chaning behavior and thought patterns, not so much digging in the past. Thats not a good thing for a child. Depression can be healed through healthy habits.

0: Talk to the therapist as well. Not necessarily about what they are talking about, but what you can do,

in terms of behavioral change.

1. To push through depression, he must at some point do something despite his horrible feelings. Talk about

that with him and the therapist. The energy and the good feelings come after and while he does something, not

before. When its appropriate how do you do that, without him feeling misunderstood

and overwhelmed. Depression is often lack of energy but you get energy when you do healthy things like

sports.

2. People with depression tend to isolate themselves, look out for that, dont let that become a habit.

Are there important Figures in his life, like his granddad, a loving aunt etc? Involve them even more.

3. The CBT-Approach involves doing pleasant and healthy activites, basically everything thats good:

Sports, getting outside, everything thats fun and enjoyment. google list of pleasant activities. Having a

depression is even one more reason to fully have an active and fun childhood. Spoil him a bit

(does he have favourite band, or candy etc?), and plan

fun activities. Maybe small ones with a deadlines Talk about that with the the therapist. Maybe you should

talk to the therapist too not just him. Establishing hobbies, getting a girlfriend etc can snap him out.

4. If its possible and not overwhelming make him use a bicycle not the bus or the car, because he will do

sports without scheduling it. Sports and movement has the same effect on the body and mind like

medication.

5. Be kind but know when to force him out of his mode. In germany we say, the appetite comes when you

eat. Talk about that with the therapists.

6. The daily requirements we take for granted like taking a shower daily, making homework can become

impossible for him and a source of shame, watch out for that and handle that in a loving a way.

7. Dont become a helicopter parent, avoid giving tips and judgements, that can be totally annoying. Do more

with him talk less , comfort him emotionally.

8. Family, friends, etc, can become a problem, because a depression is still a stigma and a source of shame

a barrage of good tips and kick in his ass attempts. Shield him against that.

9. Daily mindfulness practice will do wonders.

10. All this activities can be too much for him. Start small, like really small (only 5 minutes a day for example)

Establishing a daily pattern is more important than the outcome. 30 days in a row 2 minutes walking is

better than 5 a one hour. Talk about that with the therapist, because sometimes rest and letting him alone

is good too. Dont make him active 24/7

11. Hug him, and here a hug from me for you and him:

Posted by Parkourler
Okay, I can tell you a few things, because I have or had diagnosed depression. It is a shitty disease, but it can be healed. Definetely push for Cognitive Therapy because its about chaning behavior and thought patterns, not so much digging in the past. Thats not a good thing for a child. Depression can be healed through healthy habits.

0: Talk to the therapist as well. Not necessarily about what they are talking about, but what you can do,

in terms of behavioral change.

1. To push through depression, he must at some point do something despite his horrible feelings. Talk about

that with him and the therapist. The energy and the good feelings come after and while he does something, not

before. When its appropriate how do you do that, without him feeling misunderstood

and overwhelmed. Depression is often lack of energy but you get energy when you do healthy things like

sports.

2. People with depression tend to isolate themselves, look out for that, dont let that become a habit.

Are there important Figures in his life, like his granddad, a loving aunt etc? Involve them even more.

3. The CBT-Approach involves doing pleasant and healthy activites, basically everything thats good:

Sports, getting outside, everything thats fun and enjoyment. google list of pleasant activities. Having a

depression is even one more reason to fully have an active and fun childhood. Spoil him a bit

(does he have favourite band, or candy etc?), and plan

fun activities. Maybe small ones with a deadlines Talk about that with the the therapist. Maybe you should

talk to the therapist too not just him. Establishing hobbies, getting a girlfriend etc can snap him out.

4. If its possible and not overwhelming make him use a bicycle not the bus or the car, because he will do

sports without scheduling it. Sports and movement has the same effect on the body and mind like

medication.

5. Be kind but know when to force him out of his mode. In germany we say, the appetite comes when you

eat. Talk about that with the therapists.

6. The daily requirements we take for granted like taking a shower daily, making homework can become

impossible for him and a source of shame, watch out for that and handle that in a loving a way.

7. Dont become a helicopter parent, avoid giving tips and judgements, that can be totally annoying. Do more

with him talk less , comfort him emotionally.

8. Family, friends, etc, can become a problem, because a depression is still a stigma and a source of shame

a barrage of good tips and kick in his ass attempts. Shield him against that.

9. Daily mindfulness practice will do wonders.

10. All this activities can be too much for him. Start small, like really small (only 5 minutes a day for example)

Establishing a daily pattern is more important than the outcome. 30 days in a row 2 minutes walking is

better than 5 a one hour. Talk about that with the therapist, because sometimes rest and letting him alone

is good too. Dont make him active 24/7

11. Hug him, and here a hug from me for you and him:

Thank you!

I didn't notice that he was depressed. There has been some small changes but I attributed it to him being a teenager. He talks to his friends all the time and showers before school every day but he did quit sports this year. He played for 11 years so I was a bit shocked but he and the coach didn't get along. The coach was also his geometry teacher last year and there were issues.

A 21 out of 27 is a very high score. He must be keeping all of that inside.

Posted by Rindaroo

Posted by Deedee86

Posted by Shadowcat

Posted by Deedee86
My 16 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in June. Today he had an appointment with his dr and they referred him to a social worker. He scored a 21 out of 27 on a depression screening. He will start seeing someone next week.

What is going to happen? Will he live with this forever?

It's absolutely terrifying. I'm more nervous about this than I was about the diabetes.

My brother is schizophrenic and I basically lost him when he was around 17. He's living but trapped in a world of mental illness and medication. I see him regularly but we haven't had a conversation in 20 years.

I lost the love of my life to depression.

I'm scared that I will lose my son too.

What a shitty disease!

Hey so if I were you, I wouldpush for a cognitive behavioral therapist. Specifically. Whether or not his condition is severe enough for him to be put on medication is a discussion you and his therapist should have. Cbt with medication ie the most effective way to combat depression. That being said, not everyone who is depressed needs meds. Talk to his therapist qbout it, specifically.

Medication scares me because I see what that did to my brother.

This whole thing is overwhelming

Sometimes medication is a good thing. My daughter has major depression & anxiety after having post concussive syndrome. She is on meds for the anxiety & it makes a huge difference. Depression is gone now, and she is doing really great in school and life. When she goes off meds, depression comes back and she cannot function normally. Hoping to get off meds eventually but it is a blessing at this point in her life. She sees a therapist 2x a month & it helps a ton. She specializes in anxiety & depression with teens. He probably is having trouble with the diabetes diagnosis. The concussion & post-concussive syndrome really depressed her. She had to learn to manage it all & pull herself out to a better place which she has done ( with the help of meds)

click to expand

It's nice to hear that your daughter is doing well. It gives me hope.

What medication is she on, if you don't mind me asking?

Posted by Cookieo
Do you know if there is something in particular that triggered it? Did someone happen to him? I'm sure it would be a great comfort for him to have you there by his side through this. *big hug*

He was diagnosed with diabetes in June. He went from being a carefree teen to testing sugar, watching carbs and injecting insulin.

That is why doctor asks those depression questions. He says it's pretty common for people with diabetes to become depressed from time to time. They get sick of dealing with it.

Posted by Deedee86

Posted by Parkourler
Okay, I can tell you a few things, because I have or had diagnosed depression. It is a shitty disease, but it can be healed. Definetely push for Cognitive Therapy because its about chaning behavior and thought patterns, not so much digging in the past. Thats not a good thing for a child. Depression can be healed through healthy habits.

0: Talk to the therapist as well. Not necessarily about what they are talking about, but what you can do,

in terms of behavioral change.

1. To push through depression, he must at some point do something despite his horrible feelings. Talk about

that with him and the therapist. The energy and the good feelings come after and while he does something, not

before. When its appropriate how do you do that, without him feeling misunderstood

and overwhelmed. Depression is often lack of energy but you get energy when you do healthy things like

sports.

2. People with depression tend to isolate themselves, look out for that, dont let that become a habit.

Are there important Figures in his life, like his granddad, a loving aunt etc? Involve them even more.

3. The CBT-Approach involves doing pleasant and healthy activites, basically everything thats good:

Sports, getting outside, everything thats fun and enjoyment. google list of pleasant activities. Having a

depression is even one more reason to fully have an active and fun childhood. Spoil him a bit

(does he have favourite band, or candy etc?), and plan

fun activities. Maybe small ones with a deadlines Talk about that with the the therapist. Maybe you should

talk to the therapist too not just him. Establishing hobbies, getting a girlfriend etc can snap him out.

4. If its possible and not overwhelming make him use a bicycle not the bus or the car, because he will do

sports without scheduling it. Sports and movement has the same effect on the body and mind like

medication.

5. Be kind but know when to force him out of his mode. In germany we say, the appetite comes when you

eat. Talk about that with the therapists.

6. The daily requirements we take for granted like taking a shower daily, making homework can become

impossible for him and a source of shame, watch out for that and handle that in a loving a way.

7. Dont become a helicopter parent, avoid giving tips and judgements, that can be totally annoying. Do more

with him talk less , comfort him emotionally.

8. Family, friends, etc, can become a problem, because a depression is still a stigma and a source of shame

a barrage of good tips and kick in his ass attempts. Shield him against that.

9. Daily mindfulness practice will do wonders.

10. All this activities can be too much for him. Start small, like really small (only 5 minutes a day for example)

Establishing a daily pattern is more important than the outcome. 30 days in a row 2 minutes walking is

better than 5 a one hour. Talk about that with the therapist, because sometimes rest and letting him alone

is good too. Dont make him active 24/7

11. Hug him, and here a hug from me for you and him:

Thank you!

I didn't notice that he was depressed. There has been some small changes but I attributed it to him being a teenager. He talks to his friends all the time and showers before school every day but he did quit sports this year. He played for 11 years so I was a bit shocked but he and the coach didn't get along. The coach was also his geometry teacher last year and there were issues.

A 21 out of 27 is a very high score. He must be keeping all of that inside.

click to expand

Depressive people dont show irritating behavior, you rarely see it. And depression builds itself in a slow way

even unaware to the "depressee". Depression is a sneaky, subtle cunt to put it bluntly

This might be way out of line or perhaps even inane, but.......

I'm no doctor even though i hang around them, my psychology expertise includes one year at college and then i realized it's not for me and my pocketbook edition of Dr.Freud mini cookbook for internet trolling but i firmly believe depression isn't an illness but just a state of mind, which came about when certain critical factors in that individuals' life stop being met.

I think you just need to talk to your son, get to the bottom of why is he feeling down and not fall into the trap of US medical treatments which will fill your kid with addictive drugs.

Some thoughts, based on my experience through the years........social worker is not a psychologist, i would say definitive judgements on the state of your son should be done by a qualified psychologist and not a 27 point questionnaire.

In my very humble opinion, social workers are present at schools to eliminate the disturbing factor whatever that may be, at all cost, so in effect, treating symptoms rather than causes. It's a bunch of hens who collectively get high on IG/FB motivational quotes and peddle that shit around.

/rant over

One more thing.....

That sports thing, quitting after so many years......was he good? Because i can relate, i was state champion at basketball in the under 14 range. Primary school league for reference.

Then it was customary in my family to go to maritime school (middle school) to the coast. There they had a so-so regimen of practice, sometime it was, sometime it wasn't and a piss poor high school team as a result so i quit it altogether.

So there was a void that needed to be filled and i found the clubbing scene with all its vices and some positives. Just a thought on how stopping actualizing in stuff you do for a long time affects a teen.

Posted by Mr_Pinchy
One more thing.....

That sports thing, quitting after so many years......was he good? Because i can relate, i was state champion at basketball in the under 14 range. Primary school league for reference.

Then it was customary in my family to go to maritime school (middle school) to the coast. There they had a so-so regimen of practice, sometime it was, sometime it wasn't and a piss poor high school team as a result so i quit it altogether.

So there was a void that needed to be filled and i found the clubbing scene with all its vices and some positives. Just a thought on how stopping actualizing in stuff you do for a long time affects a teen.

He was really good but started losing interest last year when he moved up to varsity and this guy was his coach. There a couple other players that quit or moved to different sports because of this guy too. Their personalities just clashed.

Posted by Deedee86

He was really good but started losing interest last year when he moved up to varsity and this guy was his coach. There a couple other players that quit or moved to different sports because of this guy too. Their personalities just clashed.

That's like a triple whammy....loosing the sport he loved, loosing the pals (comradery) at the sport that he loved and loosing the structure repetitive trainings offered to his life.

Add 16yo puberty woes = feeling lost.

I probably really sound like i'm projecting my own stuff here, but honestly i kinda see myself in this story.

2 cents from a layman.

Posted by juliettee
@Parkourler sorry for your story but he was "diagnosed" by social workers. let's not jump ahead, they might be full of shit. even if he is it's not their's to say.

Oh, you got a very important point there, thank you for pointing out. You are right, lets not jump ahead and let a psychiatrist examine him. Even if he has depression, that depression might have physical causes not psychological. Forget what i wrote and do that first. Maybe he has a total different issue. Same thing with

adhd. So many kids get ritalin, most of them are just dreamy or more physical and cant sit still in the classroom.

Which is an unnatural thing, esspecially for physical who would rather move and play outside.

Posted by Mr_Pinchy

Posted by Deedee86

He was really good but started losing interest last year when he moved up to varsity and this guy was his coach. There a couple other players that quit or moved to different sports because of this guy too. Their personalities just clashed.

That's like a triple whammy....loosing the sport he loved, loosing the pals (comradery) at the sport that he loved and loosing the structure repetitive trainings offered to his life.

Add 16yo puberty woes = feeling lost.

I probably really sound like i'm projecting my own stuff here, but honestly i kinda see myself in this story.

2 cents from a layman.

click to expand

I really appreciate all of your insight.

I'm lost on all of this.

Posted by Deedee86

I really appreciate all of your insight.

I'm lost on all of this.

Take it with a grain of salt or just as what might have happened as i do not know your son, the circumstances, the nature of stress he is under etc etc

It just sounded very familiar.

On a positive note, the doctor just called with his lab results.

When he was diagnosed diabetic in June, his A1C was ridiculously high. I think it was around 11.6 (I know over 11). That is high for even a diabetic.

Yesterday it tested 5.9 which is the high range of normal!

He is in a clinical trial called the TREX study. There is no medication. They did a blood draw, separated the healthy treg cells, regenerated them and transfused them back into his body.

This was done in July. I don't want to get too hopeful but if it sends his diabetes into remission it will be a miracle!

He is very young to be taking meds...try and avoid this.

I was depressed as a teen.....what helped me as I got older was healing and therapy sessions. I was shown and allowed to release all my anxieties and unburden myself in a safe and gentle environment

It saved me. I never resorted to meds....a lot of the time it can be risky taking them and doesn't heal the issue but just masks and supresses it

*Hugs* to you both.

Posted by black_kevorkian

Posted by Deedee86
My 16 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in June. Today he had an appointment with his dr and they referred him to a social worker. He scored a 21 out of 27 on a depression screening. He will start seeing someone next week.

What is going to happen? Will he live with this forever?

It's absolutely terrifying. I'm more nervous about this than I was about the diabetes.

My brother is schizophrenic and I basically lost him when he was around 17. He's living but trapped in a world of mental illness and medication. I see him regularly but we haven't had a conversation in 20 years.

I lost the love of my life to depression.

I'm scared that I will lose my son too.

What a shitty disease!

well, based on your family history of mental retardation & bodily malfunctions, i can only assume things will get much worse for your child before it gets better

teen suicide is at its highest levels also, so unless you're prepared to come home and find your son dead from an overdose of your meds, i'd suggest putting him in an asylum

click to expand

You're trolling the wrong person.

I don't get riled up by strangers on the internet.

Move along......