16 year old is often sick, depressed, hardly eats. Any ideas ?
Patient: My 16 year old son is often sick, has spent most of the holidays asleep, has few friends and we wonder if has depression. Last Nov he injured his knee playing basketball. This required a total knee reconstruction and a year off sport. He used to play a lot of basketball and rugby. He has hardly been eating also which is why I think he is know down with a cold. Doctor: Hello Welcome to health care magic I can understand your situation. I appreciate your effort to seek online support. As per your details, he is possibly having underlying anxiety/depression. For this consult a psychiatrist for detailed evaluation. Following treatment strategies would be helpful- 1) Antidepressants/Antianxiety agents like SSRIs (escitalopram, sertarline, paroxetine etc) 2) Antianxiety agents like clonazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam etc3) Psychotherapy/ Counselling sessions4) Relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, deep breathing etc Hope it helps Good luck Regards Dr. Gourav Monga Consultant Psychiatrist