<p>Meds combined with therapy often gives the best outcome for depression. If she connects with one of the therapists, it is possible that her primary physician can prescribe an anti-depressant. With someone to oversee how the meds are affecting her on a weekly basis, the doctor might be willing.</p>
<p>As parents, we can see the problem and talk til we’re blue in the face, but until our children want to get help we’re stuck. </p>
<p>Good luck to your daughter. I hope things work out well.</p>
<p>I appreciate the value of counselors but I agree that a full medical work-up is necessary.</p>
<p>A kid I know really well had a lot of stuff going on physically that only a physician (and in her case an incredibly attentive and intuitive one) could have ever found. The kid’s bad gene pool pre-disposed her to clinical depression. That much she knew going in, but the thyroid diagnosis? That was wholly unexpected. </p>
<p>Find a good “medicine man” and let them do their job. They may or may not be the best counselor for your D, but they can get her “set” to where counseling can be effective. </p>
<p>It’s a struggle but she can do this and come out the other side better than new. Good luck to her.</p>
<p>One other thing about thyroid tests and treatment. There is a big difference in reactions to TSH testing/low results among providers. Some stick to the guidelines of treating for TSH over 5, others treat TSH in the 3’s, and some will not even treat over 5 but will advise first dealing with adrenal function.</p>
<p>Also, TSH tends to vary a lot with time, going up and down. I had a TSH in the high 5’s, and then a few months later it was just under 2.</p>
<p>Also, there are other areas of controversy. Some MD’s use only levothyroxin or other standard T4 supplementation, while others insist on also using small amounts of T3. Armour Thyroid used to be used for this, but many now feel the ratio of T3 and T4 are off in that, and just get the two separately.</p>
<p>I don’t remember all the details, and this is beyond the scope of the discussion anyway, but just in case she does end up with hypothyroid results, maybe it will help if you are aware there are these questions to look into.</p>
<p>Update: she has an appointment with the female therapist for the end of next week and a prescription for Zoloft (generic), written by a doc at the student health center. Why she will see a doc on campus but not a counselor on campus, who knows, but I am trying to be grateful that she is willing to see anyone.</p>
<p>^^ Probably feels there’s a stigma attached to seeing a counsellor. My D was very resistant to walking into the counselling center; she was afraid someone would “see her” and somehow know all of her secrets. </p>
<p>But you are so right. The fact that she’s being proactive about getting help is the best possible news. Hang in there, Mom, she’s on the right track!</p>
<p>In our experience, what mattered was how much experience the particular counselor has with this age group. Beyond the medical possibilities, there are unique issues of concern to kids in the late hs thru college age group. We had an excellent woman working with one daughter in hs- and she was a complete wrong fit. We didn’t realize this for too long, because this woman seemed so “on her game.” That’s to us, the parents. Dau ended up with a psychiatrist who focuses on university kids in our area- and loves her. Continues wit her when home and calls her, as needed. This has been a miracle of sorts. The advantage to working with a psychiatrist is their ability to prescribe and tweak medications, as well as their underlying medical training. (Nothing against any other category of therapist, but, at this stage in our game, I dont’ want her MD prescribing.) Good luck.</p>