Anxious teenage DD: is GP likely to be any help?

[Lancelottie]

After years of being the little star who essentially brings herself up while half the family ploughs through anxiety and depression, poor old DD has predictably found it all a bit much.

She brought it up as a school problem at first - feeling anxious and socially awkward, being teased ('but nothing I can get them for, just... stuff'), feeling panicked about homework and GCSE choices - but I don't think it's just school, or even mainly school. For years she's been the stalwart, cake-making, (fairly) uncomplaining one who has changed plans and been understanding to her autistic brother and more recently a depressed and anxious father.

On talking to her, she says that she's always felt she couldn't ever admit to feeling 'down', as someone else in the family would always have bigger problems anyway, and she would just drag them down further (I know exactly what she means). Now she's said it, it's obvious that many of her 'headaches' and 'stomach aches' and so on are anxiety related.

Now she's started to talk, the floodgates have opened and the 'usual' cheery but slightly chaotic DD - the act she's been putting on, at least - just seems to have vanished. Instead she's in tears every day, and seems exhausted.

Apart from kicking myself heartily, and listening rather more, what can I do to help? Would a GP be able to point us in the right direction? And can anyone pass me a tissue?

A small and unexpected update.

DD went back to see the same GP yesterday, and in the course of conversation he said 'We clearly need to do something as you just aren't the same girl as I saw when we were discussing changing the acne medication two months ago.'

Then we all looked at each other... and he checked the possible side effects of doxycycline. And one of them, in 2% of children, is anxiety attacks .

Well, it clearly isn't the whole story, but given the timing, it may well have been the last straw. We're changing it back!

And another update, just in case it helps anyone else: after a week off the doxycycline, DD is looking and sounding so much more like her old self - a bit worried, maybe, but nothing like the shaking and panic of a month or so back.

It might just be coincidence, as we've tried to tackle it on all sides at once, and I'm glad we've been able to keep talking through everything that she has on her plate.

Thanks to all of you for sympathy and suggestions

That's very interesting Lancelottie. I'm really pleased things are improving. I've read about a link between the contraceptive pill and depression, and wondered about that with my DD. But then again we wouldn't want a pregnancy right now, thanks! Food for thought though.

Hope things continue on the up for your DD.

Contraceptives I can sort of understand (fiddling with hormones an' all) but antibiotics were somewhat unexpected!

I'll be looking very carefully at exactly what's in the prescription another time.