As a pediatrician, teen psychological well-being is very important to my pediatrics team. Did you know that according to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), 50% of all lifetime mental health illnesses begin by age 14, and that 75% of all lifetime mental health illnesses begin by age 17? Data like this makes me very concerned about the emotional well-being of my teenage patients, especially when it comes to clinical depression.
Going online and searching pediatrics near me is a great way to find a pediatrician in Miami, Fl so you can start having a conversation about your teen’s emotional well-being. Since you’ve found my pediatrics practice and my corner of the Internet, I’m going to take the opportunity to use this blog post to educate you on what happens to a teenager’s brain and body when he or she becomes clinically depressed, as well as help you find mental health pediatrics near me.
To reach me directly, I encourage you to call my Miami pediatrics practice at (305) 614-3017.
What Happens in the Brain During Depression
In case you’ve never been told by a pediatrician what the symptoms of depression are, let me explain them to you now. Depression is categorized by experiencing many or all of the following symptoms:
- A lasting feeling of sadness and/or hopelessness that just won’t go away.
- A loss of interest in doing the activities that used to bring you joy.
- Having trouble getting a good night’s sleep or conversely, sleeping too much and having difficulty getting out of bed.
- Weight fluctuations, which can seem sudden and/or extreme.
- Feeling extremely fatigued, even though you didn’t do any activity to warrant this feeling of tiredness.
- Feeling anxious, restless, frustrated, or irritable.
- Having feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or shame.
- Having a difficult time concentrating, making decisions, and/or remembering details.
- Having thoughts of suicide or death.
As you can see, clinical depression in teens causes serious symptoms that both parents of depressed teens and myself as a pediatrician want to quickly address. Suspecting depression in your teen is a good reason to look for mental health pediatrics near me so you can put together a diagnostic and treatment team.
One thing that many parents of depressed teens don’t understand is what happens in the brain during depression. When a teen is depressed, the brain undergoes many changes that can have lifelong effects.
Here’s an overview of what happens in the brain during depression:
- Extra Cortisol is Released, Affecting Memory
Cortisol is the body’s stress hormone. Because the body considers clinical depression a stressor on its system, a depressed teenager’s brain releases extra amounts of cortisol. Unfortunately, when the brain has elevated levels of cortisol for long periods of time, neuron growth in the hippocampus can slow down or stop altogether. This can actually cause the hippocampus to shrink, thus resulting in memory issues.
- Excess Cortisol Enlarges the Amygdala
In addition to shrinking the hippocampus, the stress hormone cortisol causes the brain’s amygdala to enlarge. This is the part of the brain related to emotional responses. An enlarged and more active amygdala can lead to sleeping problems, fluctuation in activity and energy levels, and other hormonal changes and imbalances.
- Depression Causes Brain Hypoxia – or Oxygen Reduction
What happens in the brain during depression is called hypoxia. This is when the brain doesn’t receive adequate oxygen flow. This phenomenon can further increase brain inflammation and even cause brain cells to die. The result is difficulty learning, remembering details, or regulating one’s mood.
Additionally, the following changes in the body occur when your teenager is depressed:
- Appetite Changes
Some depressed teens report a loss of appetite, and as such, they begin to rapidly lose weight. Other teens report an increase in appetite, and they begin to gain weight. Both sides of this weight fluctuation issue are serious and can result in lifelong problems with managing one’s weight.
- Chronic Pain
Teens who experience depression are also more likely to experience chronic pain. This pain may come in the form of headaches, back pain, or joint pain. Some doctors believe these increases in chronic pain occur because depression may actually lower one’s pain tolerance level.
- Gastrointestinal Issues
Believe it or not, our gut health is directly tied to our emotional wellness and our moods. As such, teenagers living with depression are more likely to experience gastrointestinal issues. These include stomach aches, indigestion, nausea, cramps, and bloating.
Finding Mental Health Pediatrics Near Me
If you suspect your teenager has clinical depression, you may be searching for the right healthcare professional. Rest assured, you’ve found the right place. We are the first clinic you should visit when you suspect your teen is depressed and needs a pediatrician in Miami, Fl.
During our first appointment, I’ll talk to your son or daughter about his or her feelings, emotions, and daily routine. While it’s hard for some teens to open up about their emotional wellness issues, I’ve been a pediatrician in Miami, Fl for 20 years and have an excellent bedside manner with teens.
Typically our first line of defense is to find a great therapist for your teen. Several therapy techniques, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT has proven to be very effective at treating depression and teaching depressed teens coping skills to manage their depressed moved and any associated negative thoughts they may have. If therapy alone doesn’t work and your teen’s case of depression is severe, we may need to consider prescribing anti-depressant medication to your teenager. This medicine, which must be taken daily and can’t be stopped abruptly, will help your teen’s mood regulate. We may need to increase the medication dose to find the optimal dosage level for your son or daughter.
How Do I Know if I Need Child Psychiatric Pediatrics Near Me?
When I diagnose your son or daughter with clinical depression and he or she starts therapy, we’ll set up regular appointments to check on his or her progress. This will be especially true if we eventually decide to have your teen take anti-depressants. During these appointments, I’ll be assessing his or her progress in therapy, if applicable, how his or her medication is work, as well as any positive or negative changes in his or her mood and other depression symptoms.
If your teenager’s depression isn’t improving with both therapy and medication, I may refer you out to a Miami child psychiatrist for more specialized psychiatric care. This doctor will become part of your teenager’s mental health treatment team and, alongside me and your teen’s counselor, will work to get your son or daughter back on track to emotional wellbeing.
Finding the Right Pediatrics Near Me for My Teen’s Mental Health
As a pediatrician, I can only imagine the concern you must be feeling if you suspect your teenager is depressed. But don’t worry; I and my entire pediatrics practice is here to support you and your son or daughter every step of your journey.
Whether the best course of treatment is for your teen to attend regular appointments with me or to be referred out to a child psychiatrist, your son or daughter’s best interests and emotional health are my top priorities.
If you’d like to schedule an appointment to have your teenager evaluated for clinical depression, call my Miami pediatrics practice today at (305) 614-3017.
