6th grader is depressed

[Anonymous]

my son is depressed. He has no friends and he has ADHD. he takes Ritalin and could the Ritain be causeing his depression? He has speech problems. and Other problems, such like his hand writing and his size his not the average 6th grader.

[Anonymous]

Anxiety can be part of ADHD, which can make kids more depressed/anxious. The social isolation probably affects his self esteem and doesn't help him feel less depressed.

Does he have an IEP already? You can ask for social skill building goals be added to his IEP, e.g.,:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=6721

Does he have any interests? Can he participate in something he likes in a group setting/class? He may not develop close friends, but may feel less isolated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anxiety can be part of ADHD, which can make kids more depressed/anxious. The social isolation probably affects his self esteem and doesn't help him feel less depressed.

Does he have an IEP already? You can ask for social skill building goals be added to his IEP, e.g.,:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=6721

Does he have any interests? Can he participate in something he likes in a group setting/class? He may not develop close friends, but may feel less isolated.

He does an IEP. His in FCPS which means his still in elementary school. I will check that out. do you think we should cut off his RITALIN? his only taking 12mg total doing the day

[Anonymous]

Please talk to the psychiatrist who prescribed the medication! Some meds need to be tapered on/off.

[Anonymous]

OP - Work with your child's psychiatrist and let him know of the symptoms you are seeing. Also puberty could still be kicking in and making exact dosage harder to find. i do not have boys, but what about a class in martial arts which while an individual outlet is in a group setting. Are there any clubs or after school activities he might participate in. Is there any way you could foster some friendships by maybe a pizza/movie night for some fellows he knows?

[Anonymous]

Maybe it's medication - my son didn't experience this with Ritalin, but I don't really know all of the side effects. But, there are two other things that stand out to me: his age is prime for beginning to feel depressed and his circumstances certainly could cause depression as well. I have to say that sixth grade was difficult for both of my boys, which was also the first year of middle school and anxiety producing for both. I hope things get better.

[Anonymous]

I would be more focused on the statement that he has no friends. Human beings are all social creatures, and get most of their happiness from social interaction. Any 6th grader with no friends will be profoundly unhappy. So try to get to the bottom of that. Is his ADHD interfering with his social acceptance? If so you might do better increasing his dosage rather than reducing it. (I have a 40 pound 2nd-grader who takes more). Or maybe the social problem is more complicated than that. In my observation (and their parents'), many ADHD kids have mild social problems pretty similar to Aspergers syndrome even though they might not qualify for an autism diagnosis. And talk to your doctor. If your kid doesn't yet know about his diagnosis, learning about why he has these challenges might help.

[Anonymous]

Is this a short or long acting medication? How long has he taken this dose? 12 mg (which is an odd dosage) is a very low dose, especially if that is a long acting medication.

Is this being prescribed by a ped or a psychiatrist?

[Anonymous]

I would be more focused on the statement that he has no friends.

I agree. I would share this information with his gen ed and special ed teachers. We went through something similar in 5th grade and his gen ed teacher was able to suggest a friendship to encourage. We did and it worked out really well. It gave him some confidence to participate in some school sponsored after school activities which were positive for him. Overall, it got him through a rough patch. I have a younger DS with far more significant challenges and while he doesn't have a particular friend, he, too, has particiapted in these events and is feeling more a part of a group. Last year, younger DS said he was a lonely a lot. This year, he said he's not. Melted my heart.

[Anonymous]

I think that Ritalin can definitely cause depression, or related problems. That drug can change a person's attitude so they lose interest and/or friends.

One day when I was in high school and in a lousy, frustrated mood, my friend gave me Ritalin just because she had some. Almost immediately, it made me numb - I stopped being upset, or happy, or anything else. I was "uncomfortably numb" because the drug dulled my emotions to apathy in the blink of an eye.

Stimulants in general can be extremely depressing, even for adults in otherwise stable situations. Sixth grade is hard enough on its own. Who knows how the drug may be affecting your son?

I know for a fact that Ritalin is something to look at closely and critically as you search for how to help your boy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that Ritalin can definitely cause depression, or related problems. That drug can change a person's attitude so they lose interest and/or friends.

One day when I was in high school and in a lousy, frustrated mood, my friend gave me Ritalin just because she had some. Almost immediately, it made me numb - I stopped being upset, or happy, or anything else. I was "uncomfortably numb" because the drug dulled my emotions to apathy in the blink of an eye.

Stimulants in general can be extremely depressing, even for adults in otherwise stable situations. Sixth grade is hard enough on its own. Who knows how the drug may be affecting your son?

I know for a fact that Ritalin is something to look at closely and critically as you search for how to help your boy.

Wow, so you abused drugs once and you think this is a.) relevant or b.) evidence-based.

Taking drugs recreationally/illegally is NOT the same thing as working under the care of a psychiatrist to treat a MEDICAL condition.

[Anonymous]

ADHD and depression frequently go hand in hand.
Read this:

http://www.help4adhd.org/en/treatment/coexisting/wwk5c

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Is this a short or long acting medication? How long has he taken this dose? 12 mg (which is an odd dosage) is a very low dose, especially if that is a long acting medication.

Is this being prescribed by a ped or a psychiatrist?

Its regular Ritain 5MG In the AM and 1 1/2 in the afternoon

[Anonymous]

OP I noticed that with my own sixth grader. He naturally has a upbeat and joyful personality. With meds, he was somber most of the time. I was getting depressed just watching his personality change.

So I learned that magnesium supplements, B complex supplements, and fish oil (1000 mg for kids our age) will help. But they need time.

I have noticed a difference with my son when I give him these and not the meds. He's not so somber, has most of his crazy, exuberant personality (so still a bit hyper), but he can focus better when necessary.

I also avoid gluten, all preservatives, and food coloring in particular. I stopped giving him milk and just give him yogurt occasionally.

Not sure how severe your son's ADHD is. Mine has moderate ADHD. Maybe give these supplements a try, stick with them for at least four months. Wean back on your ADHD meds while giving him these supplements and see if it works.

My son still needs support in school to some degree (strong communication between teachers and us), but at least he's not depressed. Good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Depression often occurs along with ADHD. And just to be clear, depression (like ADHD) is a condition with a biological basis: a problem in brain chemistry. Some people can ameliorate their symptoms through non-medical interventions: daily exercise, regular sleep, diet. For others, medication is the way to go. One issue, though, is that most depression meds take rather a long time to achieve effectiveness. Plan on 6-8 weeks.

A psychiatrist can do a basic depression screening, and give you a sense of what the treatment options might be if depression is diagnosed.

As for the Ritalin, bear in mind that kids with ADHD do react differently to stimulants at different points in their lives: growth and/or puberty can mean that a new dosage or a different medication is in order.