Teenage Depression And Use of Drugs.

Victoria - posted on 07/02/2011

Honestly sometimes the drug use has nothing to do with depression, so I would certainly get that clarified by a second option. Even suicide in teen years isn't always to do with depression, but can be pushing boundaries, I know teens who attempted, but didn't really want to kill them selves, they just wanted that danger experience and the drug high clouded their judgement. It's important to find out if your son is truly depressed and if so why.



When I was a teen, we just took stuff to experiment, I personally wasn't raised in a Christian home, but it was loving and my parents had high moral standards, yet both my sister & I experimented with drugs. It was just hanging out with the wrong people. My parents were very free to talk about it with us, so it really didn't last long for me. They just told me how bad it was for my body & my mind. Later on I had a traumatic experience, that caused me to try and kill myself on more than one occasion, but even then I didn't want to die, I just wanted to be heard.

As Christians we are able to express how our bodies are temples of the LORD and how there is no high like the Most High God and having a true experience with Him. Also that God can and will heal all wounds, whether physical, emotional, mental.......whatever, God is there to bind the wounds and heal the broken hearted.



I would truly suggest a Christian counsellor over a worldly psychiatrist and go from there, and talk to your son, find out his reasons for taking the drugs, is he trying to escape or explore. If you have a home church, talk to the pastor or youth pastor/ministry director.



Some symptoms.......it really depends on the drug being used, but change in appetite, sleep patterns, mood swings, energy levels, secretive behaviour, lying, personality differences all can be signs of drug usage.



I will keep you and your family in prayer.

√v^√v^√♥ - posted on 07/01/2011

Did the psychologist say anything about his depression, or did he just mention the drugs? I'd look for another psychologist for your son if they didn't give you enough information. He needs more help than becoming drug free hun

√v^√v^√♥ - posted on 07/01/2011

I am so sorry your son feels that bad to try to commit suicide. I've been there. It's a very very hard thing to overcome. It took me years. If I were you I'd research as much as possible to try to understand. Try to lay off of him about everything, and start doing whatever you can possibly think of to not harp on him (not saying you do, but as parents children feel the weight of our judgement constantly), try asking if he wants to stop playing sports. Ask him if his friends tease him, if he feels pressured to succeed at school too much.

It shows he is in a very very delicate state of mind. What type of drugs, did they say? Do you know?Reguardless of the drugs, I'd be high pressed to say forget that he is using drugs altogether unless it's something he's going to struggle with long term - meth, etc. Because I'd say he's using them to cope with what he's going with.

He needs so much help. He needs someone to talk to. He's sad. Probably feels directionless. People don't understand. I'd try to pull him back from his life at the moment, and try to do whatever you can to be there for him. Please, focus on the depression and not the drugs so much. If he has any head on his shoulders and hasn't gotten into hard drugs yet, once he feels better I bet he will quit using drugs.

Try finding him something else to join other than sports. Maybe an art group, or get him into games and have him heal at home. He needs to heal :( mentally, more than anything else. Something is wrong, it's a cry for help.