Medication & Dealing With Teen Depression

Both medication and psychotherapy play a part in the treatment of teen depression. Each method of treatment goes hand-in-hand with one another. Even if a troubled teenager is under medication for his or her depression, supporting psychotherapy is vital to his or her treatment. On the other hand if he or she is undergoing psychotherapy, supporting medication is crucial.

Medications like Zoloft (sertraline) or Prozac (fluoxetine) are often prescribed for the disorder because of their effectiveness in restoring a patient’s normal mood, appetite, and sleeping patterns. While the patient is dealing with his or her issues behind the depression in psychotherapy, medication can help him or her deal with the symptoms of the disorder.

All patients are unique individuals

But it is important to consider the fact that all patients are unique individuals. Just because one medication worked for this patient doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be the most beneficial for another patient. If a certain medication prescribed for depression does not show favorable results in your troubled teen, don’t be quick to shun medication in the treatment of your teen’s disorder. A different kind of medication for depression may have a positive effect on your teen’s progress. For some people, the class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) are helpful in the treatment of atypical depression, while others prefer monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI’s). Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA’s) are also another class of drugs which are frequently used in the treatment of melancholic depression.

Have realistic expectations

It is important to note that medication for the treatment of teen depression is not a magic pill which can induce wellness with one swallow. Both parent and patient should have realistic expectations of the effectiveness of the drug in relation to a timetable. For most medications, there is a certain period of time that the patient must be taking the medication for it to take proper effect.

Achieve a proper balance of medication and psychotherapy

Some parents may still be skeptical of the use of medication to treat disorders which are known for their symptoms of feelings. But many studies have shown that there are certain chemicals that may affect our disposition. Because of these new studies, parents ought to be more open to the use of drugs in the treatment of disorders of this type.

As long as a parent is not relying solely on the medication for the treatment of his or her troubled teen, he or she can expect a smoother transition into wellness for his or her teen with the proper balance of medication and psychotherapy.

[Link: Troubled Teen]