Overcoming Teen Depression

by Kaufman, Miriam

• ISBN13: 9781552095201
• ISBN10: 1552095207
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-03-01
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd

Summary

In clear and accessible language, Dr. Miriam Kaufman explains what teen depression is, and how it can be overcome. She give parents a thorough overview with the most up-to-date medical knowledge, and includes many illustrative case histories.To aid in the search for someone who can diagnose your teen and recommend appropriate help, Dr. Kaufman outlines current medical approaches, including therapy and drug treatments, as well as alternative treatments. In a broad-ranging question-and-answer section she addresses many of the specific concerns of parents, and of teenagers themselves.Other important factors such as gender and sexuality differences, related medical and psychiatric disorders, substance abuse and poverty are discussed in detail. Dr. Kaufman outlines the warning signs of suicide and offers professional advice on how it can be prevented."This book is first rate -- it will be of great value to parents and teenagers alike." (Dr. Stan Kutcher, MD, FRCPC, Professor and Head of Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University)"With its comprehensive, easy to read approach, this book is an excellent resource, not just for parents and teens, but also for university students dealing with depression. The chapter on alternative treatments is especially helpful." (Samuel Parrish, MD, Director of Student Health and Wellness Center,Johns Hopkins University)

Author Biography

Miriam Kaufman, BSCN, MD, FRCP is a staff physician with the Division of Adolescent Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children and associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, at the University of Toronto. She has been working with teens for 18 years, and is the author of Easy For You to Say: Q&A for Teens Living with Chronic Illness or Disability and The Overweight Child: Promoting Fitness and Self-Esteem (Firefly 1999).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	1	(4)
What Exactly Is Teen Depression?	5	(12)
The Medical Definition of Depression	6	(2)
Teen Depression Is Different from Adult Depression	8	(1)
Even Children Get the Blues	9	(1)
How Do Depressed Adolescents Actually Feel?	10	(2)
Girls, Boys and Depression	12	(1)
Other Symptoms of Depression	13	(2)
It Isn't Your Fault	15	(2)
Adolescent Emotions	17	(13)
Temperament and Emotion	18	(1)
A Time of Change and Growth	19	(1)
Development and Depression	20	(7)
The Resilience Factor	27	(1)
How Can You Help Protect Your Kids?	28	(2)
The Many Types of Depression	30	(20)
Types of Depression	30	(10)
Theories about the Causes of Depression	40	(10)
Medications in the Treatment of Depression	50	(23)
Treatment Is Essential	51	(1)
Are Drugs Really Necessary?	52	(4)
General Information about Medications	56	(17)
Psychotherapy for Depression	73	(24)
A Good Teen Therapist Is Hard to Find	74	(3)
How Therapy Works	77	(2)
Types of Therapists	79	(3)
Ways of Delivering Therapy	82	(5)
The Search for a Therapist	87	(4)
When Therapy Goes Wrong	91	(4)
When Therapy Ends	95	(2)
Alternative Treatments	97	(17)
Herbal Medicines in General	98	(4)
Conventional Alternatives	102	(11)
Talk to Your Doctor First	113	(1)
Substance Abuse and Depression	114	(12)
Dangerous Interactions	115	(2)
How to Tell If Your Depressed Teen Is Using Drugs	117	(1)
What to Do If Your Teen Is Using Drugs	118	(1)
What to Look for in a Substance Abuse Program	119	(3)
Specific Substances	122	(3)
The Good News	125	(1)
Anxiety Disorders and Depression	126	(18)
What Causes Anxiety Disorders?	129	(2)
Types of Anxiety Disorders	131	(11)
Treatment for Anxiety Disorders	142	(2)
Medical Conditions and Depression	144	(17)
Some Medical Conditions Can Look Like Depression	144	(2)
and Some Medical Conditions Can Lead to Depression	146	(1)
Specific Illnesses	147	(13)
Remember, Depression Should Always Be Treated	160	(1)
Special Cases	161	(19)
The Very Smart Teen	162	(1)
Learning Disabilities	163	(4)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)	167	(2)
Eating Disorders	169	(2)
Sleep Problems	171	(2)
Personality Disorders	173	(2)
Conduct Disorder	175	(2)
Grief	177	(3)
Adolescent Suicide	180	(27)
Warning Signs	182	(1)
Preventing a Suicide in a Depressed Teen	183	(2)
Some Questions from Parents and Teachers about Suicide	185	(22)
Question Period	207	(23)
Questions from Teens	207	(8)
Questions from Parents	215	(15)
Depression and Society	230	(19)
The Politics of Depression Treatment	231	(2)
Gender and Depression	233	(5)
Aboriginal Suicide	238	(2)
Poverty and Depression	240	(2)
Gay Teens	242	(1)
What Protects Kids from Developing Depression?	243	(2)
Political Action to Prevent Suicide	245	(4)
Appendix: Types of Psychotherapy	249	(6)
Index	255

Excerpts

Introduction "I know what you can do for your book: ask any teenager to tell you what they think of their lives." This somewhat cynical comment about teens and depression comes from my 15-year-old son. Many people think of adolescence as a time when angst, sadness and despair are normal, and the rebellious or disturbed adolescent has always been a familiar character in books, plays and movies-as long ago as the time of the ancient Greek tragedians and as recently as the latest Winona Ryder film.Movies, books and common wisdom aside, adolescence is not usually a morass of mental illness. Although several studies have shown that, overall, the mood of teens tends to be lower than that of younger children (that is, they are sadder), and that adolescents are more aware of their emotions than children, the majority of young people get through adolescence without major problems.But during these developing years, many teens will experience at least one bout of major depression. Exactly how many young people go through such an episode is difficult to determine. Studies vary in how they define depression-and whom they ask: teens often say they are depressed, while their parents, asked about their son or daughter, say their kids are doing fine. However, it is probably fair to say that fewer than 3 percent of teens are experiencing a major depression at any given time. Three percent may sound low, but that means that in every high school classroom there is probably one teen with a major depression. Another way of putting it is that 15 to 20 percent of teens will have a diagnosable depression at some time during their adolescence. Mild to moderate depressive symptoms are found at any given time in up to 35 percent of teens.What exactly do we mean by depression? As defined by therapists and doctors, it is a complex blend of emotional and physical symptoms and behavior. From a medical point of view, depression always includes depressed mood, but this might be difficult for a teen to put into words. She may not describe this as feeling sad, but more as lacking feeling. Deep despair is another description that some people give of how they feel. The writer Sylvia Plath described the sensation of a bell jar descending around her, making the world seem remote, not really touching her.Most depressed people describe a lack of enjoyment in life (anhedonia). A depressed teenager may notice that things that made him very happy before pass without notice now. He may observe others around him enjoying themselves, but he cannot join in with the feeling, although he may still participate in the activity.Other feelings are associated with depression. One of the most common is a feeling of worthlessness. A teen may talk about not being able to do anything right, or about not being worthy of love, affection or respect. Maybe she tolerates abusive behavior from a friend or romantic partner because she does not think she deserves any better. It could be that she is feeling guilty about things that weren't her fault, were relatively minor or were even imagined.A number of physical symptoms are part of depression. There may be a change in appetite, often decreased appetite. Although in adults a typical problem associated with depression is early-morning awakening, teens are just as likely to sleep more than usual, or to have difficulty both falling asleep at night and waking in the morning. Fatigue is a common problem for depressed people, including teens.It is very worrying for parents if, along with a depression, the teen frequently thinks about death. This may not be thoughts about suicide, but, could involve dwelling on thoughts of people who have died, on events involving death that are reported in the news, or on theological questions about death and the afterlife. Suicidal thoughts or attempts are a clear indication that the teen needs help immediately. Chapter 11 discusses