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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
teen depression and anxiety taking celexa
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
teen depression and anxiety taking celexa
by limecats, Jul 23, 2007 12:00AM
My 14 year old daughter has had problems with anxiety and some depresion for years (we started seing symptoms in 2nd grade). She has been seeing an LICSW regularly since 5th grade. This year her problems escalated dramatically - partly due to hormones, partly to bullying at school. She went through a partial hospitlization program for a month and was put on Celexa 10 mg a day to start. 6 weeks later the dose has now been increased to 20 mg a day (for the past 5 days). We are not seeing anything get better - in fact her depression seems much worse, insomnia very common and she is completely lethargic and unable to cope with thoughts of a future (she has said she wishes she were in a coma so she could live in her dreams). Due to shortage of mental health professionals, she has been out of the hospitalization program since July 1 but her first appointment with the new CBT therapist isn't until August 1, the new psychiatrist can't see her until August 13. I am concerned that I should possibly push to have someone (maybe at an emergency room?) see her before then.
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Jul 24, 2007 12:00AM
, Jul 24, 2007 12:00AM
You should push for an earlier appointment on an emergency basis if there is any indication or worry about suicidal tendencies. She certainly is a candidate for that concern. Also, the medication may have to be adjusted downward because it may be contributing to the lethargy....it's a clinical call that only a psychiatrist can make.
My daughter is on med's for the same thing. Whenever I am unsure about how she's doing and do not have an appt. soon....I will call her psychiatrist and leave a message for her to call me. Then I tell her everything going on. If they feel it's serious they should squeeze your daughter in. I would call and call again till I got the doctor.
Especially if she is suicidal. They take that very seriously. That's my opinion anyway.
Keep us posted.