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12:01

Admin - Hello and welcome to MomHouston's live chat with Baylor College of Medicine expert Dr. Richard Pesikoff.

12:01

Admin - Dr. Pesikoff is a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at BCM.

Welcome Dr. Pesikoff!

12:02

Dr. Pesikoff -

Good afternoon.

12:03

Admin - Thanks for joining us Dr. P. There was a story out recently that children as young as 3 are capable of becoming depressed. Can you give some advice to parents if they have a young child they believe is struggling with depression?

12:06

Dr. Pesikoff - It is important to first be sure that we are using the word depression the same way. The signs of depression in childhood are many and often different from those that we see in adults. Children show depression with symptoms sometimes of loss of appetite, depressed mood, loss of functions that they have already achieved such as bowel and bladder control, the ability to sleep by themselves, and the ability feed themselves. Children can also demonstrate signs of depression with crying, loss of motivation/a desire to do things, irritability, unprovoked anger and school withdrawal. While not unheard of, it is extremely rare for very young children to hurt themselves; something we see in older children and adults. If a parent suspects their child has problems in this area, it would be advisable to consult their family doctor or pediatrician to get an expert opinion.

12:07

[Comment From Linda Ball]
My daughter has experienced the suicide of her best friends of 19 years. She knew her friend was depressed but regrets that she did not see this coming. How can she resolve the "only if" thoughts she has.

12:09

Dr. Pesikoff - It is always tragic when a young person ends their life. Unfortunately, none of us have the ability to read other people's thoughts and to know what someone else is planning. Blaming one's self for someone else's behavior isn't fair to yourself. One would have to be a mind reader in order to actually know that another person was intent on killing him or herself unless that person actually told you so. Almost all the time, individuals who are determined to end their lives do so successfully because they do not share their intentions with other people. In those situations, there is no way to read their minds and know that they are planning on killing themselves. If your daughter continues to struggle with her self doubts, she might consider talking with a counselor to further investigate her feelings.

12:09

[Comment From Jeff]
What is your advice concerning ECT for treatment of bipolar disorder? Is it worth It?

12:11

Dr. Pesikoff - Electric shock treatment is an old and proven treatment for some forms of mental disorders. It was much more popular before we had access to many of the medications available today. However, in certain situations, such as major depression, bipolar disorders and schizophrenia where the physician has determined that the individual could benefit from ECT treatments, it is perfectly appropriate to recommend ECT to deal with some of the symptoms of these conditions. The decision to use ECT should be left to a psychiatrist experienced in this area.

12:11

[Comment From Robin]
Do you believe being bipolar is hereditary?

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