Depressed Teen - Help!!!

[Coatgate]

My DD (17) has suddenly been struck down by idea of her own mortality. I know it is perfectly normal but she is really, really struggling with it. Any advice on any books that might help?

She is saying she needs to talk to someone so I may have to look into counselling. A friend of hers suggested St John's Wort but the chemist warned me off it as it can have side effects so I have bought some Quiet Life tablets . I may take them myself.

She says she is OK when she is busy, but a lot of the time she just sits staring at me with big tears rolling down her cheeks.

It is breaking my heart to see her like this and nothing I say seems to make it better.

All advice greatly appreciated!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Poor love. Poor you too, that must be hard for you to watch.

If shes 17 has she recently moved into college/sixth form? If so, some have free counselling services available to them. If she says she needs to talk, then she probably does, it's a huge thing for a teen to admit to. It's much better to tackle this now, then them learning approaches that don't help and them then taking those strategies into the next stage of their life.

If she doesn't have any free counselling through education to access, then it may be her gp is the next port of call, not for meds at this point but for referral to a talking therapy of some sort.

What do you think about those ideas?

[Coatgate]

Thanks - yes she has just moved to sixth form so will check with school. I had to email them as she failed to finish an essay over half term. I knew she was seriously upset as she sat with DH and me on Sunday evening and watched Antiques Roadshow from the Flying Scotsman.

I went through similar at 19, when you realise you will never be a child again.

The lady in the chemist said she is going through exactly the same thing with her 18 year old so I know it is not unusual but just not sure of the best way forward. I'll see how she is when she gets home from school. I don't set much store by counsellors though.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

now that's not good when they are driven to ARS! Some counsellors are great, some are crap. If she can get one who will listen openly then do some cbt work with her that can be a good way forward.

If you don't mind I'll pm you with a link to some useful stuff my local nhs provide.