As many writers do, I often am inspired to write about real-life experiences in the hopes of educating others. The following story is based on a real-life experience. This is a story that many people can identify with and for those who can't, let it serve as a lesson. If anything, it will make you think about the seriousness of teenage depression.
A single mom who happens to be a nurse in a hospital is approached by the youngest of her two daughters. The girl, who is 13 years old, complains that she is depressed. It takes a lot for a teen to confide in her mother. At this age, many are rebellious and if they even recognize symptoms of depression in themselves, often they do not ask for help.
Even with her experience as a nurse and the training and knowledge she received during her schooling to become an R.N., the mom brushes her daughter off and does nothing to get her help.
Life goes on. They move to a new town and the daughter begins school in an unfamiliar setting with unfamiliar students. The mother's new boyfriend is a constant fixture in their new apartment.
The daughter begins to feel even more isolated and her depression does not go away.
Being vulnerable, the new friends that she makes are other troubled teens. In response to their feelings of low self-worth and lack of self-respect, they do typical rebellious teenage things like smoke pot and drink alcohol.
Self-medicating is typical behavior for someone who is suffering from a mental illness. When they are not seeking treatment, they often turn to something to ease their pain.
A teenager who has asked for help and either not taken seriously or ignored, may just feel as if she/he doesn't matter or is not believed.
Eventually, if left untreated, depression will get worse.
The girl becomes more "hooked" on drinking and drugging and it does start to catch up to her. She begins to get into trouble in school and gets caught with alcohol on her.
Now the mom has to take notice. In addition to her depression, her daughter also has a problem with alcohol and drugs. She is now barely 15 years old.
Regular AA meetings have become a way of life for this family and the sad part is that all this might have been avoided if only she had been taken seriously. She could have been evaluated, gone for therapy and perhaps been prescribed an anti-depressant to help her with her symptoms of depression.
Dealing with a dual diagnosis (in this case Depression and substance abuse) is difficult for mature adults. For someone with their whole life ahead of them, it makes life more of a challenge.
This is an example of why parents need to be aware of the symptoms of depression. They also need to put aside any misconceptions about mental illness and seek out help for their child. No one says that it is easy to deal with. The journey to recovery can be long but it is a journey that must be taken.
This girl's story could have had a much more tragic result. Her story is not over. She is in treatment and hopefully, her family is taking this issue seriously. I hope she gets well. I hope she gets the support that she is deserving of, like anyone else who has a mental illness.
I hope my sharing this story makes someone think twice about the seriousness of teenage depression. It is real. It needs to be taken seriously.
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