Information on Depression

Would like some information/help in dealing with a 19 year old female suffering from consistant depression. Subject shows some indications of Bipolar, mostly staying in a depressed state yet at times being quite hyper. Subject doesn't show a whole lot of in-between states. Subject can be distracted off of depression or happiness, not thinking if she is either way, by simple distraction. Subject quite often suffers from sleep troubles, having sleep plagued with nightmares of varying intensity. Subject has in the past suffered from sexual assault, for which she has seen a councelor over a period of several months. The counceling helped a bit with the problems spawned from the assault but didn't do much on curing depression. Subject has slowly been engaging in increasingly more harmful acts of self-destruction. Starting with scratching and biting herself slightly to small, individual cuts to small, multiple cuts. Subject expresses feelings of worthlessness and complete inability to control life events. Subject has expressed minor desire for her own death. Subject has been prevented with the thought of medication but is very reluctant to consider such a path based on financial concerns and concerns about her parents. She is seeing help without her parents knowledge and is very afraid of doing anything that might make them find out what she is going through.

Please post or email any thoughts or advice about this case.

Chris Roberts cnr1@ra.msstate.edu

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