How to Treat Depression in a Teenager Without Using Drugs

Depression is a disorder that strikes all age groups. While most teens suffer occasional periods of moodiness, more frequent occurrences of sadness and melancholy may signal a much more serious condition. Symptoms of depression in teenagers include anger, irritability, diminished energy, social withdrawal, feelings of hopelessness, sleeping too much or too little, changed eating patterns, crying and suicidal thoughts. If your teen has been diagnosed with depression, your doctor may recommend a variety of solutions, such as prescription drugs, to help. These medications, however, have been known to have extremely dangerous side effects when used by some teens. To find safer ways to help deal with your teen's depression, there are nondrug treatments you may want to consider using.

Things You'll Need

• Counseling
• Electroconvulsive therapy
• Light therapy
• Physical activity
• Sepia
• Ignatia
• Aurum metallicum
• Pulsatilla
• Natrum muriaticum
• Better diet

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Instructions

• 1

  Ask your doctor to give you a referral to a therapist, psychiatrist or counselor for your teen. Being able to talk out feelings with a professional counselor who knows how to listen and speak effectively to young people will be helpful to your teen. A therapist may offer such treatments as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps to counter negative thinking patterns. Make sure that you are kept well informed of your child's progress and that you also participate in counseling sessions when the therapist finds it necessary.

• 2

  Consider ECT or electroconvulsive therapy, which is a nondrug treatment for depression. This involves the attachment of electrodes on specific areas of the head to bring on a seizure for 30 seconds through electronic stimulation of the brain. The typical number of sessions for the best effect is believed to be three.
  Speak to your doctor about helping you to find a hospital or mental health facility that administers ECT. While this form of therapy is not usually used for children, it may be a consideration for older teens whose depression is at a severe level.

• 3

  Think about using light therapy if your teen has seasonal depression. Take a morning walk with your teen to expose him or her to sunlight, which helps to raise serotonin levels. If this is not feasible due to the weather conditions where you live, you can still expose your teen to "sunlight" through the use of a sunlamp, which provides light that is similar in nature to daylight. Just a half hour of daily exposure to sunlight can be helpful in decreasing symptoms of depression.

• 4

  Get your teen moving. Exercise has been known for its therapeutic effects in relieving depression symptoms. Get your teen to go on a daily afternoon walk with you or get involved in other physical activities, as regular exercise raises serotonin levels.

• 5

  Try homeopathic remedies to aid in diminishing your teen's depression. Consult a licensed practitioner for an evaluation so that the best remedy can be determined for treatment. Common homeopathic remedies used to deal with depression are Sepia, Ignatia, Aurum metallicum, Pulsatilla and Natrum muriaticum. Homeopathic treatments are safe and have no side effects.

• 6

  Get your teen on a healthier diet. The wrong foods can trigger depression in teens, such as junk food, processed carbs, soft drinks, fatty foods and sugary foods. Begin serving your teen foods that help to relieve depression, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish and lean poultry. Just changing what your teen eats could make a positive difference.