Hey Boo Hoo Bulldog......you will have at least one, possibly two major depressive episodes...if you live until you're fifty or sixty.
It is people like you that has yet to experience a painful depression that will be boo hooing the loudest!
In fact....you'll be the type to wail when it's your turn.
Moody or Mentally Ill?
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"The school failure was the most obvious identifying symptom," Fawcett said.
A clear red flag
Experts agree that irritability and moodiness that keep a teenager from functioning normally for more than two weeks should be clear red flags. Ditto for withdrawal from activities and social isolation from friends. Other warning signs parents should look for are substance abuse, which is often a form of self-medication, and cutting, or self-injury, which can be a precursor to suicide.
"Parents will often let this go at least two weeks or more because they're convinced it's just a phase, even though if their child had a rash, they wouldn't ignore it," said Koplewicz.
The good news, he said, is that teenagers respond to targeted treatment, such as psychotherapy either with or without medication.
"The nice part is that we see dramatic turnarounds with kids, often in four to eight weeks. We believe wholeheartedly that we can change the trajectory for these kids if we nip it early."
Roni Caryn Rabin is a health writer who lives in New York City. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsday and Real Simple magazine, among other publications, and is author of the book, "Six Parts Love: A Family's Battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease." She teaches journalism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
© 2008
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