Doctor wont give me antidepressents?!

Doctor wont give me antidepressents?

My doctor wont give me antidepressents, even though she knows i feel suicidal. She said its beacuse im only 14, but i know someone who is 14 and takes antidepressents. She says i should get counselling instead, to 'get to the bottom of things'. But i already know why im depressed! And depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain, so howcan taslking help that?

Suicidality is not a fad. Study after study has shown that a significant percentage of teenagers have thoughts of suicide in any given year. The most common (but not the only) cause of suicidal ideation is depression; unfortunately, antidepressants in teenagers tend to decrease most symptoms of depression but *increase* suicidality. This is probably why your doctor is reluctant to prescribe antidepressants, especially if suicidality is the prominent symptom of your condition.

I'm not discounting his recommendation of counseling; that will help, and its effectiveness is backed by comprehensive studies. But in my opinion you should also seek referral to a psychiatrist, who is better qualified than your regular doctor to determine if antidepressants are a good option for you.