I am 32 and have been suffering from chronic depression since I was 9. I was suicidal until I turned 17 then decided to just deal with the depression cuz I knew there were people out there that would miss me. It's hard to handle but with my meds and counseling i'm ok.

It stemmed from multiple rape and to this day that has left me in an odd situation. I am a gay man that doesn't trust men.

My best friend has been a lifesaver, he is always there for me, even if it means he has to leave work to come home. He cracks alot fo jokes but I know he is watching me every time I have bad day. He monitors my meds to make sure that i actually take them and then watches me all day to make sure I don't pass out or throw up.

That's the down side to it, the upside is that once my meds kick in I return to my normal self and start being me again. I will be on meds for the rest of my life most likely but now I don't feel like I am all alone battling this, I have friends and family who care about me.

Posted more than i thought I would lol

I hope your son will be ok.

Thank you, Foliel! I am hoping, that if this is depression, that we can get a handle on things before it gets to a crisis. I don't want him going through what I and numerous others have gone through. I hope you continue on your path to wellness and wish you happiness and peace in your journey

Something struck me about what you said, that's probably off-topic but since it's my topic, oh well

You said you're a gay man who doesn't trust men. And the first thing that popped into my head is that there are many, many women who don't trust men either. Wonder what that says?

And, so we don't think I'm a card carrying member of the Shewoman Manhaters club, that was meant kind of tongue-in-cheek, joking. I love people in all their incarnations, unless their just willfully ignorant and close-minded.

The idea of seeking out a highly qualified pediatrician physchologist at a children's hospital is excellent. Comprehensive testing can identify any number of problems from Learning disabilities, to diabetes, thyroid problems, to allergies, brain tumor, to chemical imbalances, or hidden substance abuse including aspixiation to huffing.

That different medications do have different results with different people. What helps one will make another violent or hullucinate. Dalmane frequently prescribed for rest and even depression actually gives people night terrors (a CNS reaction) and sleep deprivation from never fully getting into deep sleep can make depression even worse.

Since critical brain developement occurs in adolecence and the body has dramatic hormone shifts the results of medication are much harder to research and predict.

The makers of Zoloft give potential candidates an excellent video on how the brain processes seritonin if for no other reason it helps to understand how the brain works.

The National Alliance For the Mentally Ill also has extreamly helpful free materials and peer support groupes of both consumers, professionals, and families. NAMI is online.

I am a firm believer in medication having a place but not being the whole deal. I think exercise, diet, allergies, and thyroid have major implications. Caffine is a big no no for me. I find it very interesting that depression peaks around the holidays where caffine laden drinks and chocolate dominate.

The thing that I think is critical is to empower your child to be his own healer by letting him develope his own understanding of what depression is, how common it is, how treatable it is, and to some degree making his own decisions about who he wants to work with as a treatment team.

I wish you well and encourage you to be hopeful.

i think that all teens have a little bit of depression because they have alot going on trying to fit in my teens always say they are when things get bad i took them to the doctors and they just talked it out with therpy just to make sure they were ok dont give meds unless its really bad and if you have to watch them close because i know somone who gave here teen med for that and she killed herself because they made her more depressed

First of all hello to everyone involved in this discussion.
I have a daughter that is 14 and when she was about 7 she was diagnosed with ADHD, high anxiety, and depression. For yrs she was on Zoloft, ritalin slow acting and fast acting, trazadone, risperdol..Life had it's ups and downs like everyone elses...But her depression seemed to get worse in January-February every year..So her doctor suggested a S.A.D. light...and as she ate her breakfast every morning this light would be on her...it helped her anyway.
But in the last 4 months she has decided to quit her meds and apart from pinning her down and stuffing the pills down her (which I doubt I could do anyway..because she is taller than me)LOL..I didn't know what do do..So we are all on the watch..for behavior change..and hell it makes it worse with teen girls with the PMS and all...it only makes things worse..depression wise.
Anyways I thought for the longest time that my kid was the only one with these HUGE issues..and I am glad to hear and see that there are places where you can talk about these such issues..