What is wrong with my son?

Let's start at the beginning.  How do you know if your child is suffering from depression versus ordinary hormone-infused teenage angst or young adult stresses?  And what if you suspect your child is really suffering from depression?  How can you know?  How can you approach them?  Bear with me as I tell my story.  I can get verbose, I know, and am only sort of sorry about that.

I remember what happened so vividly, though I cannot remember the month, the day or year.  I believe my son was a freshman in college. I had been concerned about his lack of social life for a while.  But this day, for whatever reason, my gut gnawed with pain from worry, and I knew there was something really wrong with my precious child.  He had not left his room all day -- or was it all weekend?  He avoided me, I could not engage him in any conversation.  My husband said it was part of growing up, leave him alone and he'd get over it.

Instinctively knowing better, I retreated to my room and knelt and prayed.  Anguished prayers.  Weeping.  Begging.  Pleading.  What is wrong with my son, Lord?  What can I do?

I do not believe that God answers in audible voices, but I know for a fact that He spoke to me somehow in that tear-drenched moment.   Because instantly, out of nowhere, and in a way I cannot explain, the thought blazed my brain and I knew this truth as well as I knew my own name:  He is suffering from depression.

I lifted my head in awe and wonder.  The tears dried as I recognized the truth.  Thank You, God, I whispered.  I immediately got up off my knees and headed to my friend Google.  In response to my inquiry "symptoms of depression," up popped a checklist of maybe ten symptoms.  Immediately I could answer yes to several of them on son's behalf, but some were of a more personal nature.

I prayed.  I knocked on son's door and invited him to come and join me at the computer.  He came compliantly, though not willingly.  I suppose his curiosity was aroused.

When he settled into a chair, without explaining why, I told him that I was going to read a list of symptoms.  He did not need to tell me which ones he was answering "yes" to, but he was to keep a mental tally of how many yeses there were.  I kept my back to him as I read the questions.

When I turned around, my son had a look of bewildered wonderment on his face.  How did you know?  as he admitted to answering yes to almost every single question.  As gently and as lovingly as I could, I said son, you're suffering from depression.  And now that we know what we're dealing with, we can get help and you'll feel better.

How naive I was.

Please post a response.  Tell me, tell everyone, your story.  How did you know?  How old was your child when he/she was diagnosed with depression?

Click:

Here is a link to webmd. Click for a list of symptoms to see if you or your loved one may have depression.


   
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4