United Kingdom (Great Britain)
A 16-year-old female asked:
Major feelings of depression for 6yrs.been to counselling many times.suicidal thoughts are common + i self harm. what do i have + is there treatment?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
A Verified Doctoranswered
42 years experience
Have you tried meds?: In this situation i probably have more questions than answers. First of all have you been on medication and if so, which ones. Secondly, has anyone tried to augment the medications with other medications such as lithium or thyroid or abilify (aripiprazole)? Has anyone tried lamictal. Have you had a second opinion to make sure that the diagnosis is accurate since at your age it would not at all be uncommon for long periods of depression to occur first with the mania only becoming apparent sometimes years after the fact. You have a history of any anxiety disordersthat have not been treated. Have add and adhd been successfully excluded as diagnoses.Has your thyroid been checked, have vitamin deficiencies been checked for, and when was your last physical examination.Most importantly, do you have a history of significant childhood trauma. If so has it been addressed as part of your therapy.Are there significant family conflicts, and if so has your family been involved in family therapy with you.Review these things and if necessary get a second opinion. You should not still be suffering.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Barbara Lavianswered
Clinical Psychology 37 years experience
I agree w'DrJacobson: You are young and need a comprehensive reevaluation. You may need to try alternative types of psychotherapy as well as a good physical and medical evaluation. If you need help getting your parents to agree, consider speaking with a school counselor to help them understand why you need additional help.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Apr 7, 2016
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