“Dad, I’m too depressed to go to class.”
This is a phone call Don never expected to receive from his son, Liam. How could Liam, who was always a happy go lucky child, be depressed?
Don responds, “I don’t understand. What happened?”
“It feels like everything has gone wrong this semester. I was seeing a girl and I wanted to get serious, but she decided to go out with my roommate instead. I was so upset I failed an exam. Now I could fail the whole class. Last week I decided to just give up and get into bed. With only a month and a half left in the semester, I don’t know what to do.”
Don makes a three-hour drive to see Liam, and the next day this father and son come to my office. Liam is as depressed as anyone I have seen. He is unshaven, speaks slowly and softly, does not make eye contact, and admits that he has considered suicide. I am so concerned about him that I recommend he enter the hospital.
Don has different ideas. “I can stay with Liam and make sure he is safe. I have the kind of job where I can work remotely. If you can start him on medication now, I’ll provide support while he finishes his classes this semester. If he feels worse, then we can consider the hospital.” Liam agrees to try medication and also see a therapist. I write a letter to the campus disability resource center so they can work with Liam’s professors to get him caught up in school.
[For more of this story, go to https://www.psychologytoday.co...or-danger-depression]
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