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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Can depression be "permanent" if it begins before adolescence?

    Related Topics
    Anxiety Depression Mental Health
    I'm currently 21 and have experienced depression and anxiety since about 13-14 years of age. I only started accessing mental healthcare less than 2 years ago. My depression has been very, very resistant to medication so far- I've been on fluoxetine, venlafaxine and am on my second mood stabiliser right now.

    Since the brain grows and develops so much during adolescence, can/does the presence of mental illness affect its development? Could this be the reason I've been so resistant to medication? The thought scares me because it makes me think that maybe this is permanent and can't be fixed since my brain grew from a child's brain to an adult's brain with the presence of untreated mental illness that only continues to get worse each year despite me accessing therapy and medication.

    I am seeing a psychologist right now but have yet to bring this up with her as it's a recent realisation.
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