Has your teenage child had depression and if so, have they come out the other end?

[ChristmasStepThisWay]

It looks very much likely that this is what's happening with DD13. Waiting for camhs assessment and also pursuing private routes.
What's instore for me, how can I best support her?
Have you had a child that went through this in their teenage years and then recovered just fine?
Is there any reading for me/her that will help?
This is not due to covid19 by the way, it started before.
Current difficulty is massive waiting lists for everything and no face to face interventions.

DS had what was very much situational depression brought on by the death of his sister when he was just coming up to 13. He had a few sessions of counselling with a bereavement counsellor, he did still do activities like got to football training every week. It was the only year he didn’t receive an A grade in everything at school. He is fine now but we knew the exact reason which meant it could be tackled. Do you think you know why your DD is depressed?

Yes Ds2 has had it, linked to ADHD. He takes Prozac and is now doing great.

I was extremely unwell as a teenager with mental health issues and now I’m 24 and extremely happy with my life. I’m sorry you and your DD are going through this but it is possible to be happy again.
Not sure that I’m qualified to give advice but your DD is really lucky to have a parent willing to help her and recognises that she needs some help

My DS had a terrible depressive episode last year. Wasn’t sleeping, wasn’t eating, was self harming. It was a terrible time. I think it was largely situational and we were able change his circumstances. But medication definitely helped; he was on melatonin and Prozac and he also saw a councellor. He really is transformed now and moving on with his life. I really hope your daughter makes a full recovery, you have all my sympathy. Take all the help you can get/ can afford. And don’t forget to look after yourself too. I had a good friend that I could shout at and cry all over and that was a huge help.

Thank you everyone for your kind comments.

I don't know if this makes sense but she's very intelligent, in that she's an extremely deep thinker, and this works against her (e.g. existential thoughts and the like). At the same time, she procrastinates like crazy and she's not naturally academic, so she's struggling with the subjects that she doesn't like and is not a natural at (all the sciences). So she now hates school and thinks she's dumb. I am worried she'll wake up one day and refuse to go to school. She says what's the point of doing something she hates so much everyday of her life.

We have offered looking at alternative schools and she won't hear of it, because she says at least she has friends now (this was an issue for her in years 5 and 6).

Yes.
Related 100% to school.
Not bullying but academic ability, lack of interest or motivation, behaviour, concentration & restrictive suffocating focus on keeping him in line using a system that was totally ineffective.

Very dark & difficult times.

Then he left school. He got a once in a lifetime apprenticeship opportunity and is flying high now at age 17 he is like another kid!

No counselling or medication, nothing like that, he had a fabulous support teacher who made all the difference at the time.
Keep going day by day because some days it’s the only way to get them through.