Is Your Teen Depressed?

I walked into the bathroom to find him at the bottom of the shower, crying. He'd been having a hard time getting out of bed and getting to school, but I rationalized with things like, "he's worn out from practice, school and work." Or, "he's growing so fast and just needs more sleep." But it didn't get better, it kept getting worse. Our typically vibrant, life-loving, people-loving kiddo didn't care about anything. As a parent, there is nothing worse than not being able to help our child. The following few years were tough. Appointment after appointment. No answers. Medications that didn't work. Explanations and excuses to teachers as to why he didn't get his work done. Constantly checking on him when he should be preparing to leave the nest like the rest of his friends. It was literally one step at a time. Constant googling and searching for answers that were hard to find. That's one reason I'm even putting this out into the world... it's for that one parent who feels helpless and just wants answers.

One morning, when he was just getting settled into his 2nd year of college (I don't want to skip over the previous 2 years, a lot happened in this time...but that's for another post) I got a call. "Mom, I need to come home." I knew right away he wasn't ok. I jumped in the car to pack him up and bring him home. The thoughts and tears flowed on the car drive home. Aaron and I talked about next steps, we grieved what our child would be missing out on, yet we were so grateful he was courageous enough to reach out for help.

Will he ever find happiness? Will he always live with us? Will he be able to find a career or even a job? I just want him to find his purpose, make a living and pay taxes. I want him to have the ability to get out of bed each day. To see joy in the world around him. But that's hard to do when our brains aren't healthy. How do I make his brain healthy? I was on a mission.

I considered cancelling my yearly physical I had scheduled for that afternoon, but I felt a strong tug to keep it. My puffy eyes and red face told my doctor I wasn't ok. She knew as soon as she saw me. She's an angel here on earth, I don't know if she will ever know the impacts she is making because she's willing to learn and study outside the box. What happened next turned out to be the biggest blessing I could've asked for. God knew exactly what he was doing. I told her what happened that day and what had been happening over the past few years. She said she'd just gotten back from a conference and learned about SPECT scans from Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen. Amen? Are you kidding me? She asked if I'd ever heard of him, I had not. She was so excited to let me know she sat next to him on an airplane. I was so deep in my hole I didn't care who he was or how excited she was... I just wanted to help our son. Now that I've completed 100's of hours of brain health certification through the Amen Clinic and understand his brilliance, I would give my right arm to sit next to Dr. Amen on an airplane.

Not everyone needs to go to an Amen Clinic for help. Most of the time vitamin D, B vitamins, fresh air, a break from technology, and maybe even an anti-depressant will help a teen. But when it doesn't, when you know something isn't right, it might be worth the time and money to go. They scan the brain and can see the different areas of the brain that are over compensating and inflamed and those that are under performing. How do we know unless we look? It's not always so black and white as each brain is different. Between the scans, the intense testing, brain nutrients, gut nutrients, and the expertise of the best psychiatrists in the country, a brain can heal and get better.

The best advice I can give as a mom who's been through the darkness with a child is to just be there. They need a champion, a hero... even if you don't know what to do or how to help. I imagine you found this because of a desperate online search. That's exactly why I wrote this, because I remember the sleepless nights searching online and coming up with nothing. Maybe this is the next step you or your loved one needs. Or maybe you just need to know that you're not alone and that there is hope. Take a deep breath in... and exhale. You've got this.