Depression in teens

I remember when I was 15 I went through similar feelings. You feel like no one understands you as well as feeling down and nothing makes you feel good. Three things helped me. They are all important and work together but one thing you learn as you get older is that nothing comes easy.

You have to put in some effort to get the results.

Do your best to view things in a positive light.

Make yourself smile.

This is a challenge but life is a challenge that if you tackle head on, you can beat whatever is thrown at you!

The three things for me!

1) Diet. What are you eating? Watch this. This can be a major factor in how you feel.

2) I listened to music that inspired me and took my focus off negative stuff

3) exercise. Force yourself to exercise. It's really hard at the start but once you do it every day and force yourself, you will start to feel better.

Start easy! A walk around the block. Some push ups then sit ups and do a little more each day.

Good luck with things and u hope you start to feel better soon.

I am sorry to read thay you have these issues.

Firstly have you spoken to your parents about this, and are they aware that you have seen your Doctor?

He should not disclose to them whether you have, but you are still in law, a minor, so under certain circumstances he may have to inform your parents, or the USA equivalent of Social Services.

Do you have a regular sleep pattern?

This could be confirmed by the fact that you are not sleeping properly and getting over-tired.

Did your Doctor take a blood test and also take your blood pressure when you went to see him. 

Your Doctor has assessed you with depression, but what exactly has he isolated this to; more to the point what has he prescribed, if anything.

If this is the first time you have seen him about the issue,it is a sweeping assumption to make that you are depressed and then just write out a prescription, without proper tests.  It is also quite dangerous.

Why do you feel depressed?

Is it that you are not getting where you need to, i.e. in your eyes  you should be more successful (although in reality you probably are), but just don't recognise it.

What is the situation at school, are you being treated alright by the staff and your co-pupils; that is to say are you being bullied. Have you been physically struck by someone or had a fall recently. My concern here is that you may have delayed concussion or you are being bullied.

With reference to the migranes, are you eating properly?

 A cooked breakfast is not going to be particularly good for you ar the this stage but, a cereal with milk is very important since it contains the vitamins and iron that you need because if you are walking to school or just of the bus, then it is going to be a requirement that you muscles are able to move easily.   A lack of iron (anemia) is usually the cause of loss of energey as it affects directly the blood which carries oxygen to the muscles and brain.

Iron is found in the red cells of the blood, and again act as an agent to carry the oxygen along with haemoglobin.  Do you bleed or bruise easily; and if you bleed does the blood clot relatively quickly? 

Again if this is not the case it could show a low sugar and red cell blood count.  Also the platelets which create the healing element for the skin rise to the surface and make the blood clot.

Low sugar level, particularly in the morning is often a cause for feinting and lethargy. If you are not eating properly then the irritiabiltiy may be a direct result of that.   Again a basic breakfast with milk will be helpful, and particularly if you are going through a growth spur (which at 14 you could be) you will need the calcium in milk.

At the risk of being too personal, but is your menstrual cycle stable, i.e. the expected 28 days (or there abouts) and they are occur at roughly the same time.  Also is the blood loss quite hight? 

Do you feel particularly worse during your period?

(I don't expect you to answer those questons on the board, but you need to think about them to yourself). 

The thing that goes through my mind is that there is an oxygen take up issue here as a result the low iron level and resulting in Anaemia. It could explain the migrane, particularly if these are happening when you first wake up.

 Is there anything worrying you either at home, with friends or at school- again bullying or a teacher you feel insecure about?

It is accepted that at  the age of 14 you should be having about 8-9 hours solid sleep a night; are you getting that sleep?   

Again lack of sleep can cause migranes and is sometimes linked to epilepsy (don't panic about the latter, it is just the two are indirectly linked to lack of sleep (deprivation) ) .

I think you need to seek a second opinion particularly relating to the migranes and what appears to be anaemia  

I am sorry that I have gone on and have asked lots of questions, and hope that you have not fallen asleep, but I do think you need to seek further medical advice, if necessary by-pass your GP and go to hospital.

All the best

Chris R

London, England