Depression
- My daughter is having some extreme anxiety...not sleeping , or eating ..and cant control her crying. We are desperately worried. I'm aware of homesickness but it seems extreme. Her roommate situation is compounding it. Please tell me where she can go to get help
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For many young people, going away to school is the first time they’ve been away from home for any long period and can be quite challenging.
Your daughter should find out (either from the school website or from her dormitory RA) how to get an appointment at the school Counseling Center. Many schools even have walk-in hours which would enable ...
- I have a son away at college and he is battling depression. We have noticed he is not eating and cannot sleep. Who do we contact to get him some help?
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Noticing changes in your child's behavior is a healthy first step to finding them the help they need. Certainly the eating and sleep symptoms are cause for concern, as are other symptoms such as loss of interest and pleasure in activities and others. The primary concern about depression is suicide. While it may feel uncomfortable, it is really is important ...
- My son was diagnosed with depression this past year and he's been in therapy and on medication for the last six months. Even though he doesn't really like his treatment, he's been doing much better. Now he's applying to colleges all over the country, and I'm wondering how to make sure that he sticks with his treatment while he's away at school.
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Your concerns are real ones, for a number of college-bound students want to stop their treatment when they leave home for college. Many perceive college as starting over in a new environment, and assume that the troubles they experienced while in high school will not follow them when they go away to college. Many do not want to be stigmatized by taking medications ...
- My daughter was diagnosed with a mood disorder, possibly bipolar disorder, the beginning of her senior year. They're just calling it a mood disorder now because she had marijuana in her system when I took her to the hospital and she was admitted. She is a very bright young woman and will be graduating from high school next month. She has accepted admission - though it's not binding at this point - at a large university that is more than 5 hours from our home but I am concerned about her being so far away and the stresses of college. She would like to eventually be a Physician's Assistant and would be taking difficult classes. I think she's a little concerned about being away too. Another option would be to attend the local community college, live at home and eventually transfer to a university. Any suggestions?
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It is sometimes very difficult to make a clear diagnosis when there are drugs in the picture. That said, it sounds as if whatever was happening with your daughter was serious enough to necessitate an admission to the hospital. It is not clear ...
Dealing with Suicide
- Recently my son's close friend died by suicide. Since that day he's been very depressed, his friends say he's been skipping class and not getting out of bed, and he hasn't been communicating with us at home as much. We know he needs some time to grieve - we've all been very saddened by this event - but how do we know when to intervene and get him back on track?
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You ask a very important question which is not easy to answer, because we all grieve in different ways and for different lengths of time. I am glad that you are aware of the changes that you have noticed in your son. This will serve you well when you point out specifically to your son why you are concerned about his behavior, and will serve as benchmarks ...
- My son is a freshman in college, and I noticed a blog in his browser history. The title of the blog frightened me, so I looked at it and the blog was about another young person threatening suicide. I am worried my son and his friends think this boy is "cool". Should I be concerned about my son looking at this? Should I say something? Should I report the person talking about suicide?
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Social media and its relationship to suicide is a growing concern for suicide prevention and online safety organizations. Conversations about suicide take place on blogs, social networking sites and other web 2.0, and people sometimes post suicidal intent there as well. Your son's interest in this site could be because he is simply curious, because his friend ...
Talking with Your Child
- Before our son left for college we agreed that we would talk by phone once a week at a designated time. He called as agreed for the first few weeks and then he began missing the calls. Each time he had an excuse. He fell asleep, he forgot, he lost his cell phone, the list went on. We were deeply concerned and we tried to get him to call us to no avail. How do you motivate your child to call when he is not responsive?
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Many young adults test the boundaries and the communications expectations of parents when they arrive at college. If you find your student missing planned calls, have a conversation about what would be a reasonable schedule of communication. It’s best if you can have this conversation in person. Though, whether by phone or in person, let the student ...
- My daughter is home for the summer after her freshman year at college and she seems to be acting differently - quieter than usual and spending a lot of time in her room. I noticed a cut on her arm, but when I asked her about it she said it was an accident and pulled her sleeve down. I am worried that she is hurting herself. How can I bring this up without making her more upset?
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This is a great question. There are two things to keep in mind when raising this with her. The first is that if she is injuring herself, it is likely that on some level that she does want you to know. The second is that while you can open the door to communication about it she will need to walk through if exchange is going to happen.
In raising ...
- My daughter was diagnosed with a mood disorder, possibly bipolar disorder, the beginning of her senior year. They're just calling it a mood disorder now because she had marijuana in her system when I took her to the hospital and she was admitted. She is a very bright young woman and will be graduating from high school next month. She has accepted admission - though it's not binding at this point - at a large university that is more than 5 hours from our home but I am concerned about her being so far away and the stresses of college. She would like to eventually be a Physician's Assistant and would be taking difficult classes. I think she's a little concerned about being away too. Another option would be to attend the local community college, live at home and eventually transfer to a university. Any suggestions?
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It is sometimes very difficult to make a clear diagnosis when there are drugs in the picture. That said, it sounds as if whatever was happening with your daughter was serious enough to necessitate an admission to the hospital. It is not clear from your note how she has been doing for the past few months. What are her doctors recommending? If she has not been ...