Teenage depression and drug use

Category: The Kids | Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:10 pm

Teenage depression can be a problem and is common place among today's teenagers. If you have a teen who has a problem with drugs and/or alcohol, the problem is figuring out if the depression came first or the drug use. Although there are times that a teenager will turn to drugs or alcohol to help them free themselves from the depression, more often than not, the drug use came first thus leading to the depression.

Most of the symptoms of depression in teenagers are also the symptoms of drug abuse. Personally, I think that the main difference is that a depressed teen will cut themselves off from everyone, including their friends. A teen who is abusing drugs will cut themselves off from everyone except other friends who are using.

When my son was diagnosed with depression and placed on medication, he was getting exactly what he wanted. More drugs. Even worse than the doctors giving a prescription for depression rather than seeing him as an addict, was the fact that the Prozac, coupled with the illegal drugs made him worse than ever.

At the time, I was told that if we were able to get a handle on the depression, we would take care of the drug problem. Even the court system agreed, going so far as ordering into the sentence that the prescription be taken on a regular basis. Fine, if the doctor's and the courts all agree on it, then it must be the right thing.

Looking back on it, I can understand why I fell for it. I had no one to tell me otherwise. But, to this very day, I will tell you otherwise. If you have a teenager who is an addict, you have to get to the bottom of that BEFORE you treat the depression. More than likely, you treat the addiction and the depression is no longer a problem.

If you have a teenager who is using and are unsure of why or what to do, find a private funded teenage treatment center and make an appointment. Not a mental health center, but a drug treatment center.

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jubabe296 wrote on Thu Apr 27, 2006 5:57 pm:

It's sooo hard to know what to do as a parent of a drug addicted teen!! I agree with you the drug problem has to be taken care first!!!!

dooley wrote on Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:11 pm:

I can see that. I am so glad I didn't have that problem. All my boys saw what drugs did to one of their uncles. He killed himself doing drugs and driving. He was only in early 20's. dooley

Gardenstew wrote on Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:58 am:

Getting to the root of things, the cause of the depression, sounds like the best plan of action. This is similar with a lot of things in life, get to the root of the problem first.