My brother is twelve and has shown no sign whatsoever of depression, meaning: he isn't sad, introverted, doesn't suffer from insomnia or lack of appetite, feelings of purposelesness etc. He doesn't lack anything materially, my parents are more or less present for him(not to mention he is incredibly spoiled).
The only things that could be wrong with him are his mood swings(he can go from laughing to crying to being incredibly angry in a minute), a mild form of hypochondria(he always thinks there's something wrong with him and invents all sorts of pains but doesn't imagine anything serious, such as incurable diseases) and he lies a lot(I don't think he's a pathological liar though).
These things are not uncommon for a kid his age I think and yet lately he's been talking a great deal and very lightly about how he'd really like to commit suicide(as though it's something fun and normal).
I asked him whether he is sad or anything and he said he isn't, but suicide would be cool, because life sucks.
I didn't take him seriously, of course, until he and some of his friends(who are also twelve) cut themselves with razors about ten times on both arms. Nothing extremely bad happened, because the cuts weren't so deep. Nevertheless, I take it as a very alarming sign and still my parents won't do anything, they think therapy will do nothing but encourage him.
I myself think therapy isn't done the right way, the doctors are too distant, most of the time they do nothing but nod, and if you ask them something, they ask you something else in return.
He doesn't have anything to confess, just somebody I think to make him understand how precios life is.
Please, please, does anybody have any ideas?
Tags: