Linda - I am sure that you are very concerned by all the changes you have seen. It sounds like there are indeed some significant physical problems that need to be accurately diagnosed and treated. Do you have any reason to believe that your daughter may be abusing street drugs or prescription medications? At this point every possibility needs to be raised and eliminated as a possible cause of her symptoms. Given her physical condition she may appear depressed but may not be suffering from clinical depression. This may have something to do with her lack of response to the antidepressants. If she truly was seen for only minutes when evaluated by the mental health clinic there is no way that a proper diagnosis could be made. Depending on where you live you may want to make arrangements to take your daughter to a university-affiliated hospital to have her physical condition evaluated. You may also want to contact the psychological association of the state that you live in and find out whether they have a pro bono program. This type of program involves licensed psychologists who volunteer their time to serve people who have little or no means to pay for the services. This may allow her to get a thorough evaluation to determine if she is clinically depressed or what we sometimes refer to as demoralized.

Rick Wirtz

Rick Wirtz is a Psychologist, not a psychiatrist or medical doctor. Although the majority of Psychologists are not authorized to prescribe medications or give you specific advice about them, they typically have experience working with patients who take a variety of medications. The response above is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or mental disorder. Any information given in a post about medication is for educational purposes only and primarily to aid you in having an informed discussion with your own physician.