<p>I agree with the posters who are strongly urging you to see a professional therapist and/or prescribing MD. Even if you’re feeling totally better right now. For your own sake, and for colleges who will feel much better about admitting you if they know you’ve taken these steps.</p>
<p>My daughter had a very similar situation. She did get lots of professional help. She did discuss her struggle in applications (not in the main essay, but in the “additional info” section to explain her weird transcript). She was accepted at Hampshire, Bard, Mount Holyoke, and waitlisted at Wellesley.</p>
<p>Good luck- please do see someone before you go to college.</p>
<p>Okay, the OP says she’s doing fine. In her words, her recovery has been “quite successful”. That’s awesome. There is no shortage of kids who struggle with a bout of depression in high school.and if she’s fine now I see no reason for all the mental health panic on this thread. The truth is all going to a therapist is going to get you is a prescription for meds which come with a new set of problems and it doesn’t sound like she needs that, right now. If she’s fine, she’s fine. I have no idea why people think she needs a mental health professional to tell her what she already knows. As for college, I would not discuss the “mental health” issues at all, since they are basically non-existent. No diagnosis. No treatment. And, thankfully, no symptoms. Good luck.</p>
<p>Please see a licensed mental health clinician. Given your mother’s history, I suggest you get an evaluation through a treatment team approach. I am not suggesting that you have bipolar illness but, given your family history, you are at risk for recurring mood issues. Clinical social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists working as a team can help you develop the best approach for managing your emotional concerns. Many universities have mental health outpatient clinics and can refer you to an appropriate care provider after you have been carefully evaluated.</p>
<p>I have always been concerned about family medicine doctors writing prescriptions before the consumer has been evaluated by specialists. Primary care doctors can screen and look for medical issues that might be contributing to the problem. They typically have had no training other than a rotation (6 weeks?) through psych services during med school and a few CE workshops. Most cannot effectively treat and often are not on top of issues with psychotropic medications (I have a few stories but won’t tie up time with them). Primary care doctors are fine to use (cheaper and easier to access) and can be a useful partner with the treatment team after a psychiatrist has made a determination of what you might need.</p>
<p>For college choices, I would make sure that the schools you apply to have good mental health services. Some schools contract out into the local community. This method was used at D’s school during her first two years (she never used it but had plenty of stories) and was unsatisfactory. The logistics of students traveling to appointments created problems as did the wait for services. D’s college later employed two clinical psychologists fulltime and contracted with a psychiatrist. Such a model is very helpful as the therapists are easier to access at any time and are part of the college’s system of care (and know the college intimately).</p>
<p>As to explaining problems, I always advocate judicious transparency. If your concern is described as an obstacle you overcame or learned to manage, it can demonstrate maturity and growth. S has an anxiety disorder and wrote his essay about it. His essay was rich, upbeat (and even humorous (???-yes) where appropriate). He did not apply to ivies or top 15 USNWR schools but did get accepted into all of the schools he applied to. For what it is worth, all schools were tier one, top 60 LACs with the exception of UNC Chapel Hill (who welcomed his with open arms). I would talk with your GC or others who know the schools you are applying to as to how to approach this issue. My general fear is that colleges will assume the worst with a bad semester. One parent mentioned calling the schools. You can do this anonymously and hopefully get some useful information.</p>
<p>I don’t think what you see is a “panic,” but a concern. 5minutes, you have not had a diagnosis from a mental health professional, but you say mental health issues were the cause of the failed coursework. It has only been since second semester that you have been feeling fine.
Anyone who has been close to someone with a real diagnosis of depression or other mental illness knows that one can be fine one month and not fine very quickly if the stresses and circumstances of life become too much. You also have a family history of depression and mood disorder with your mom’s bi-polar disorder. </p>
<p>Talking with a qualified psychologist does* not* mean you’ll be prescribed medication- in fact they aren’t allowed to do so. (Meds require an MD or Psychiatrist.) But they can give therapy, counsel and advice when needed.
Mental health care is now covered under all insurance policies. A consultation and a few visits that could provide you with some strategies for handling stress and your emerging independence could be very helpful in keeping you healthy as you confront the challenges of college applications, and in making the some of the hard decisions you may have going forward. You are coming to this board, asking for help from strangers. It seems to me that finding a caring mental health professional who is in your corner would be a positive addition to your life.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who has posted a response, I’ve decided to retake AP US History and AP English Language as my schedule allows, and leave my AP Biology D I received. I am going to be discussing this one last time with my GC, and also will talk to my mom about professional help for both herself and me. I will keep this thread updated, and I am so grateful for ever</p>
<p>Actingmt- Guidance Counselors aren’t qualified to diagnose depression, just like my auto mechanic (who is a lovely and erudite guy) isn’t qualified to practice law in my state.</p>
<p>5minutes, that seems like a good plan for academics.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you even notice this, but you said you would talk to your mom about getting help for you and for her. Usually the parent talks to the daughter about this. This sentence alone tells a lot. Have you heard the term “parentifiied”? I am sorry that your mom does not already have professional help. Is she also not medicated? Does she have bipolar 1, 2, or other type?</p>
<p>Honestly there are some bigger priorities right now than getting into a selective college, though I am sure you will be able to land somewhere you can thrive. Honest. But talk to the GC or school social worker about help for both of you- or ask your mom to do it if that is better.</p>
<p>Even if you are feeling fine, you have a family issue and it is good to have someone to talk to. Perhaps the GC sees you regularly and has expertise, but that does not address the underlying issues your mom has and therefore your family. There are big transitions ahead. How are you going to feel leaving your mom and how is she going to feel about it? Just as an example.</p>
<p>“Actingmt- Guidance Counselors aren’t qualified to diagnose depression, just like my auto mechanic (who is a lovely and erudite guy) isn’t qualified to practice law in my state.”</p>
<p>What is this about? I never said they were and I agree, they’re not. But it also very possible to be depressed and them several months later be feeling just fine again. Not everyone needs therapy. Really. you all might be surprised by the number of high school students who work there way through a bout or two of depression and anxiety. Geez. I expect the GC made some pretty standard, “Well. you could always go see someone,” type comment. They do that, routinely. It didn’t happen and the OP says she’s doing extremely well now. Why people can’t accept that she’s fine and want to shove her into therapy I will never understand. Her priority right now is getting into college, as it should be. </p>
<p>Whatever happened to the original poster sounded serious enough, even just judging by the fall in grades, to have warranted some professional help, especially in the context of the family situation. This is an age when depression and bipolar disorders first emerge, and there is a family history. After a first bout, it is wise to at least consider the possibility that it is not the last. </p>
<p>It sounded, to many of us, as if both the original poster and her mom could use some help that they are not getting. Therapy does not need to denote pathology, only a need for support. The fact that the OP came on here with questions indicates a need for support.</p>
<p>actingmt, I am sorry for any kid who “works there (sic) way through a bout or two of depression or anxiety” with no outside help, whether talking to someone, doing meds, doing EMDR or yoga or whatever. And those problems are often bound to return, so learning some tools can really be helpful for the future no matter how together the person might be today.</p>
<p>I have read that more than half of college students seek therapy during college years. </p>
<p>Personally, I’m thrilled for the kid who gets through a bout of the “ain’t it awfuls” with self-help and doesn’t feel the need to go running to some so-called expert where they will more than likely leave with a prescription. Talking to someone is terrific, too. But, it doesn’t have to be someone you pay to listen to your problems. If blinking or doing yoga solves the problem, go for it. However, that wouldn’t be “mental illness”. And, if someone says they are “extremely” fine as the OP did I have no clue why a bunch of posters would point out to her that a likely relapse is right around the corner. That’s not helpful. imho. Coping skills are learned by coping. We are not letting our kids cope and then we are shocked when they have no coping skills. I’ve seen a lot of this and it frequently ends badly. </p>
<p>Well, I wasn’t talking about MAJOR depression, obviously. Not all depression is major. Most isn’t, actually. Yoga is unlikely to cue anything major. And, I did not see anything major in the OP’s post except for a question about how to handle a bad semester on college aps. There was no mental illness. There was not even a diagnosis of anything and she clearly said she’s very much over whatever was bothering her during that period. I choose to believe her. Sorry.</p>
<p>I think anytime a young person reaches out and talks about depression, it is prudent to encourage him or her to seek help. If you go back into the OP’s post history, she has been struggling with what she calls lethargy for quite some time. Over a year ago, she talked about how sad her situation with her mother was making her feel (and understandably so-if her mother is not treatment compliant, her life is most likely full of tension). The grades she earned last summer at a community college were not up to her usual standards and she has been reaching out for encouragement on these boards for well over a year.</p>
<p>I am glad the OP is resourceful and came here for advice but I feel we would be neglectful if having a psychological/psychiatric evaluation was not suggested. She seems to be placing a tremendous amount of pressure on herself to succeed and does not appear to have the stable family support that the majority of students have when applying to college. I hope she will get the professional help she deserves. The vast majority of persons who seek out therapy are bright, high functioning individuals and do not necessarily need medication. Therapy helps people succeed. It is not just about severe mental illness.</p>
<p>actingmt, you may have your personal reasons for your position but it is also true that the kind of attitude you have can be dangerous: I have seen kids die because of denial, lack of care, pressure to cope without support and so on. Getting help does not have to involve pathology. Yoga, Tai Chi, tapping, you name it- all are great. But a bout of the blues that decimates studying and a continued situation with an untreated mom and uncertainty about how to proceed even with practicalities, combined with a strong desire to move forward positively, cries out for more help and support than this young person has at the moment.</p>
<p>Bottom line: There is no downside to seeking professional help for dealing with depression. There is potentially a huge downside for not seeking help. Anyone who suggests differently doesn’t understand the risks. </p>
<p>Well, we just disagree. There is absolutely a downside to professional “help”. The biggest downside is addiction to unnecessary meds and it happens all too frequently. I could tell you about the girl who wound up with such a large bag of prescribed pills she needed a larger purse and was basically a zombie, among others. Finally, she decided for herself that this was unhelpful. Duh! Another downside is that unhelpful help is an enormous waste of time and money. And, then there’s always the plain old fact that people who get “help” die or freak out, too. And, then the parents say they did all they could because they got them help. Yeah, not so much. </p>
<p>I didn’t read anywhere near the level of distress in her post that most, not all, posters did. The fact that we are even talking about potential suicide exemplifies the problem. What I read was a simple question about what to call something that’s thankfully over on a college app. I don’t think you can call it mental illness if literally nothing happened. No diagnosis of anything and doctor’s excuse note is the end. And, assuming she’s on the verge of a relapse is just not moving forward positively. Diagnosing her mom over the internet and deciding her family is a dysfunctional psychological nightmare and they need to bring in some “experts” pronto is beyond crazy. </p>
<p>And, you are correct. I have a bunch of reasons for thinking what I think. Probably, we all have our very good reasons and no minds will be changes, here. But, thanks for the outlet and good luck to the OP.</p>
<p>The problem with any CC discussion is that people always jump to extremes. Sometimes, to the point of nonsensical. Thankfully, most of real life happens somewhere between the extremes.</p>
<p>“The biggest downside is addiction to unnecessary meds and it happens all too frequently.”</p>
<p>If we’re talking about anxiety, yes, there are some drugs of abuse that can be used to treat anxiety, and they can cause addiction if misused. But if we’re taking about depression, none of the drugs appropriate to the treatment of depression are addictive. </p>
<p>I think that it is important to distinguish between the use of drugs that may have side effects or withdrawal features and the disease of addiction. If someone is given an ineffective or mis-dosed antidepressant that gives them unpleasant “zombielike” effects, and they need to be tapered off that drug, that’s not addiction unless there are a lot of other problems and symptoms present.</p>