Helping Your Depressed Teenager

"The authors have produced a very readable, extremely well informedand comprehensive book that will add greatly to the knowledge baseof interested parents. This book is strongly recommended."--Stewart Gable, MD Chairman, Department of Psychiatry TheChildren's Hospital, Denver, Colorado You supported and encouragedthem as they grew from toddlers to teens. Now you are confrontedwith one of the toughest challenges you and they will ever face .teenage depression. Adolescence is a period of peaks and valleys.Most teens negotiate these years with relative ease; yet for somethese times are treacherous with countless pitfalls. Whendepression ensues, it can interfere with much of your child'spotential. Clinical depression is now epidemic among Americanteens, and teen suicide can be a deadly consequence. Helping YourDepressed Teenager is a practical guide offering family solutionsto a family problem. This book will sensitize you to the hiddenstruggles of adolescents and assist you in understanding theirmultifaceted problems. The authors are experts in this field andhave helped countless youngsters confront and overcome theirdepressed mood. In a highly readable and gentle manner, they helpyou see behind the "masks" of troubled teens who attempt to hidetheir true feelings. They help you distinguish the subtle andsometimes not so subtle signs that something is seriously wrong.And they help you provide the loving support and assistanceteenagers need to make it through this difficult life passage. Someof the useful information provided: * What families can do to prevent teen depression * How to tell the difference between moodiness and depression * How to read the warning signs of a troubled teenager * How to know when professional help is needed and where to findit * How to choose the right treatment options for your teen

One in eight high school students is depressed. But depression in teenagers can be deceptive, and authorities estimate that a huge number of depressed teens are undiagnosed. Adults may mistake symptoms as "typical" teen angst, anger, or anxiety. Or the teen may mask the symptoms with high-energy activity. For parents who suspect their teen is depressed, the system often fails the family. Insurance coverage for treatment ends too soon, there's a months-long wait to see an adolescent therapist, or long-term follow-up is insufficient. This means parents must take charge of their child's health to reinforce, extend, and monitor treatment and its aftermath. The good news is they can do it—because parents know their child best. Although a medical doctor, Dr. Berlinger initially missed the signs of his own son's depression. By combining his parental love with his scientific skills, he developed a set of techniques to lead his son out of depression. Now he shares his 10 Parental Partnering Strategies to help parents rescue their teen from depression—based on his own experiences, nearly 100 interviews with parents of depressed teens, and interviews with mental health professionals. Increasingly, doctors are asking parents to partner with them to help children get healthy and stay healthy. Partnering has been proven effective in the treatment of other serious emotional illnesses such as anorexia nervosa. Parents can use Dr. Berlinger's strategies to help distinguish depression from moodiness; be alert to suicide risk; monitor medication effectiveness; help the teen combat negative thinking; organize activities to offset depression; and spot signs of relapse during tense times in their child's life, including exams, relationship breakups, or starting college or a job. Both a family survival story and a practical guide, this book affirms parents' unique power to help teens overcome depression.

Teen depression is on the rise in North America. According to the statistics, one teen in every high school classroom is probably suffering from a major depression. These teens come from all social, economic and cultural backgrounds - from anyone's family or community. Parents often agonize over this problem, but do nothing, hoping for the best and allowing the teenager time and space to work out his or her own problems. They try to give extra love, support and attention, but they can't help worrying. Dr. Miriam Kaufman gives the concerned parent a thorough overview of the most up-to-date medical knowledge. Drawing on her own experience and that of other doctors and psychologists who work with teenagers, and offering many illustrative case histories, the author explains what teen depression is and how it can be overcome. Medical and psychiatric conditions, gender and sexuality differences, substance abuse, anxiety, poverty and suicide, as well as the social and practical aspects of life with a depressed teen are discussed. Medical approaches, including therapy and drug treatment, are covered in detail. An entire chapter is dedicated to alternative treatments. And in a broad-ranging question-and-answer section, Dr. Kaufman addresses many of the specific concerns of parents, and of teenagers themselves. This comprehensive look at teen depression is sure to be helpful not only to teens and parents, but to teachers, guidance counselors and all those who work with adolescents.

Despite what you might have been told, the feelings of sadness and hopelessness you may be struggling with are probably not "just a phase" or "something you'll grow out of." As many as 20 percent of people your age have symptoms of serious depression, yet many teens and even many adults don't recognize the signs. Only half of depressed teens get the help they need to overcome these feelings. If you're feeling depressed, this workbook offers things you can do, both on your own and with a counselor, to feel better.

"The Real Guide to Teenage Depression" is a thorough research book that expands practical parenting facts. As well as current resources. This book offers step by step practical solutions for teens who struggle with bullying. Special sections focus on Cyber harassment and depression in LGBTQIA teens. Further educate you about the teen depression as a whole.

Discusses the signs and symptoms of depression in teenagers, explains current medical approaches to treatment, and explores related issues, including substance abuse and medical and psychiatric disorders.

Based on the latest scientific findings, a comprehensive guide to the diagnosis and treatment of teenage depression. Each year thousands of American teenagers are diagnosed with clinical depression. If ignored, poorly treated, or left untreated, it can be a devastating illness for adolescents and their families. Drawing on her many years of experience as a pychiatrist working with teenagers, Dr. Maureen Empfield answers the questions parents and teens have about depression, providing detailed information on: *Identifying the different types of depression *How depression is diagnosed *Which teenagers are most at risk *Suicide *The effect of depression on other teenage problems *How depression is treated and by whom *The drugs used to treat teenage depression - what they are and how they work *When a teenager needs to be hospitalized for depression *and more Understanding Teenage Depression provides the latest scientific findings on this serious condition, and the most up to date information on its treatment. The book includes numerous vignettes drawn from Dr. Empfield's clinical practice as well as first person accounts from teenagers who have themselves suffered from depression. Understanding Teenage Depression is a book that anyone who's been touched by this disease - whether parents, teachers, family members or teens themselves - will find invaluable.

On April 8, 1994, Kurt Cobain ended his long struggle with depression and chemical dependency by taking his own life. His suicide profoundly affected millions of fans around the world who identified with the music of Kurt and his band, Nirvana. Bev Cobain is Kurt's cousin, and this powerful book is her way of dealing with his death—and reaching out to teens with a life-saving message: You don't have to be sad, discouraged, or depressed. There is help and hope for you. Full of solid information and straight talk, When Nothing Matters Anymore defines and explains adolescent depression, reveals how common it is, describes the symptoms, and spreads the good news that depression is treatable. Personal stories, photos, and poetry from teens dealing with depression speak directly to readers' feelings, concerns, and experiences. Teens learn how to recognize depression in themselves and others, understand its effects, and take care of themselves by relaxing, exercising, eating right, and talking things over with people who care. For some teens, self-help isn't enough, so Bev also tells about treatment options, presents the facts about therapy, explains the differences between various types of helping professionals (psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, physicians, counselors, etc.), discusses medications, and more. This book isn't just for teens who have been diagnosed with depression. It's for any teen who feels hopeless, helpless, and alone. Clear, encouraging, and matter-of-fact, it's also recommended for parents, teachers, and counselors who want to know more about teen depression.