Depression/medication?!
Question: Depression/medication!?
Sorry to put this in the parenting section, but the mental health section wasn't much use to me last time!.
I am twenty years old and have a son of my own!. My youngest sister is fifteen, she was diagnosed as clinically depressed around eight months ago!. I am near to the only parent figure she has - our Dad passed away when I was thirteen and my Mum is selfish and abusive!. My sister has been through all different types of counseling and they're close to putting her on medication as nothing else works!. I've seen her change from my lovely young sister to someone completely different!. She suffers acute insomnia and she hardly eats anything!. She did go through a period of drug use around a year ago but she has been clean for a long time!. She is paranoid and frightened of people trying to talk to her!. There's nothing else wrong with her, only depression, but it's so bad!. She's lost all her personality and I don't even know anything about her now!. She's had multiple suicide attempts, it'sWww@Answer-Health@Com
I am twenty years old and have a son of my own!. My youngest sister is fifteen, she was diagnosed as clinically depressed around eight months ago!. I am near to the only parent figure she has - our Dad passed away when I was thirteen and my Mum is selfish and abusive!. My sister has been through all different types of counseling and they're close to putting her on medication as nothing else works!. I've seen her change from my lovely young sister to someone completely different!. She suffers acute insomnia and she hardly eats anything!. She did go through a period of drug use around a year ago but she has been clean for a long time!. She is paranoid and frightened of people trying to talk to her!. There's nothing else wrong with her, only depression, but it's so bad!. She's lost all her personality and I don't even know anything about her now!. She's had multiple suicide attempts, it'sWww@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I'm not a parent but I am someone who has suffered from clinical (severe) depression for many years!. I'm currently 22 and my problems began to take serious form when I was 16 - close to the age your sister is now!.
While some depression can be controlled through regular counseling it sounds as though, in your sister's case, it is time to consider additional options!. It can be scary considering all the different anti-depressant medications available, therefore I don't want to "recommend" any specific medications!. However, I will tell you from my personal experience that when I was 16 I was prescribed prozac and experienced the increased suicidal tendancies that are associated with certain anti-depressants!. Please note that this wasn't the case for any other mediciations I tried!. They included zoloft, wellbutrin and paxil!. That is why if you do decide to try medication for her you want to make sure it is under the careful guidance of a trained Psychologist (someone who your sister TRUSTS and likes)!.
I went through 3 or 4 different Psychologist who put me on medicine that worked but never quite felt right!. While I didn't dislike those doctors, I didn't particularly LIKE them either!. Finally about 2 years ago I was referred to a Psychologist that my therapist knew quite well (it is GREAT if you can find a team - psychologist & therapist - that can work together to help your sister)!. She started me on Effexor XR and it was a complete change! I got my life back after so many years spent in what felt like a black hole - where I felt nothing and cared about nothing!.
Have you tried seeking help for your sister from professionals trained specifically to deal with youths!? It is a looooong, frustrating, upsetting road you must be on, but I know you must be doing your best (it definitely sounds as though you both have a lot on your plates)!.
Try searching online or in the paper for recommended youth therapists and psychologist!. Does your sister's school have a social worker that you might be able to contact as a resource!? I know I put my parents through hell and back but they never gave up and eventually found me the help I needed and you will to!.
Goodluck with everything and I sincerely hope your sister finds the help she needs! :)Www@Answer-Health@Com
While some depression can be controlled through regular counseling it sounds as though, in your sister's case, it is time to consider additional options!. It can be scary considering all the different anti-depressant medications available, therefore I don't want to "recommend" any specific medications!. However, I will tell you from my personal experience that when I was 16 I was prescribed prozac and experienced the increased suicidal tendancies that are associated with certain anti-depressants!. Please note that this wasn't the case for any other mediciations I tried!. They included zoloft, wellbutrin and paxil!. That is why if you do decide to try medication for her you want to make sure it is under the careful guidance of a trained Psychologist (someone who your sister TRUSTS and likes)!.
I went through 3 or 4 different Psychologist who put me on medicine that worked but never quite felt right!. While I didn't dislike those doctors, I didn't particularly LIKE them either!. Finally about 2 years ago I was referred to a Psychologist that my therapist knew quite well (it is GREAT if you can find a team - psychologist & therapist - that can work together to help your sister)!. She started me on Effexor XR and it was a complete change! I got my life back after so many years spent in what felt like a black hole - where I felt nothing and cared about nothing!.
Have you tried seeking help for your sister from professionals trained specifically to deal with youths!? It is a looooong, frustrating, upsetting road you must be on, but I know you must be doing your best (it definitely sounds as though you both have a lot on your plates)!.
Try searching online or in the paper for recommended youth therapists and psychologist!. Does your sister's school have a social worker that you might be able to contact as a resource!? I know I put my parents through hell and back but they never gave up and eventually found me the help I needed and you will to!.
Goodluck with everything and I sincerely hope your sister finds the help she needs! :)Www@Answer-Health@Com
convince her to eat, sleep and above all also to talk
if she does those things she will start to feel better
she should tell you what is bothering her, that she does not want to eat and why she wants to hurt herself
tell her how much you both care about her and love her and you want to help her, maybe she will let you
also try to give her multi vitamins, natural ones will help
good luckWww@Answer-Health@Com
if she does those things she will start to feel better
she should tell you what is bothering her, that she does not want to eat and why she wants to hurt herself
tell her how much you both care about her and love her and you want to help her, maybe she will let you
also try to give her multi vitamins, natural ones will help
good luckWww@Answer-Health@Com
my suggestion would be to ask your g!.p to put you in contact with the child and adolescent mental health service,my son has been recieving c!.b!.t with them and its really helped !.They are very understanding and patient!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Please make sure your sister is going to a psychiatrist!. It sounds like she would greatly benefit from psychotropic medication (anti-depressants)!. Depression does change our personality, we lose interest in things we previously loved, we lose weight (or gain weight), we have sleeping problems - either too much or too little, we lose the will to live, we suffer feelings of persecution, we feel agitated and irritable, we cry!.!.!. there is little in our life that is not touched when we are depressed!.
Anti-depressants are not cure-alls but combined with behavioural (talk) therapy, they can help us recover and regain our sense of self and worth!.
As a loved one I suggest you continue to be supportive of your sister and make certain she is placed with a good psychiatrist who can look at her symptoms and medical history and put her on the medication(s) best suited to give your sister relief!. She does not need to suffer and neither do you!.
Good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Anti-depressants are not cure-alls but combined with behavioural (talk) therapy, they can help us recover and regain our sense of self and worth!.
As a loved one I suggest you continue to be supportive of your sister and make certain she is placed with a good psychiatrist who can look at her symptoms and medical history and put her on the medication(s) best suited to give your sister relief!. She does not need to suffer and neither do you!.
Good luck!.Www@Answer-Health@Com