Kate’s Story: Finding Her Power After Teen Depression

In the theater and music room at her high school, Kate is completely at home. She runs through lines from a play, her voice filling the space. Later, she picks up her guitar, fingers finding familiar chords as she performs an original song. Here, surrounded by her passions for theater and music, this vibrant high school student shines, but it's a world away from where she was not long ago.

Kate’s teen depression journey has been one of immense challenges and deep resilience. Teen depression is a condition characterized by persistent sadness, irritability and a loss of interest in activities that last at least two weeks and impacts daily life. When the Children’s Nebraska behavioral health experts first met Kate, it may have been hard to imagine that such a bright, theater-loving teen and musician could be grappling with overwhelming depressive and anxious thoughts every day.

"I really, really hated who I was," Kate says. "And because I hated who I was so much, I felt like everyone around me hated that too. I was just down and there was no way to regain my footing and get back up."

A World Turned Upside Down: Where to Go in a Mental Health Crisis

For Kate’s parents, Heidi and Kevin, an unexpected call from school came as a shock – Kate was experiencing suicidal ideation.

"We were just kind of flying blind from that day," Kevin recalls. "Our world turned upside down in a two-minute phone call."

Heidi compares the experience to a physical injury. "If my kid broke their arm at school, we go to the ER at Children's, they put a cast on, it heals, right?" she says. "And in my mind, I knew this was not going to be cut and dried like that. We knew we needed to go to an ER somewhere, but where do we go? What does that look like? Is she going to have to stay at the hospital? Is that okay?"

Receiving Help for Suicidal Ideation

Suicidal ideations are thoughts or ideas centered around death or suicide. This is often treated through:

• Family support and education

• A safety plan that includes coping skills

• Cognitive behavioral therapy

• Outpatient or inpatient therapy

• Medications

It can feel stressful and isolating when families are faced with the pressure, fear and uncertainty that comes with supporting their children and teens who may be experiencing suicidal ideations or other urgent behavioral health challenges. Knowing whether to go to the Emergency Department or Children’s Behavioral Health and Wellness Center is crucial.

Finding an Anchor in the Storm: Children’s Behavioral Health

Kate received initial care from another area healthcare provider before the family turned to the behavioral health experts at Children’s Nebraska.

It was here Kate met Marissa Cumming, LIMHP, a licensed mental health practitioner who would become a pivotal part of her support system. Kate describes Marissa as her "anchor."

For Kate, working with Cumming never felt intimidating or clinical. Instead, therapy felt as comfortable as confiding in a trusted friend or family member. Over time, that sense of trust only deepened.

Cumming’s approach to care focuses on meeting patients where they are and empowering them.

“Anyone can experience mental health challenges,” she says. “Mental health concerns do not discriminate. Recognizing the need for support, reaching out and scheduling that first appointment can be one of the most difficult steps.”

Although making that initial call can feel overwhelming, it marks the beginning of a patient’s care journey.

Behavioral Health Outpatient Care: Building Skills for Life’s Challenges

Through Children’s behavioral health outpatient care, Kate and patients like her gain the tools and support they need to navigate life’s challenges. Some skills learned throughout the process include:

• Understanding Control: Cumming helped Kate understand between what she could and couldn’t control, reducing feelings of helplessness.

• Addressing Self-Doubt: Therapy explored struggles with self-doubt and self-acceptance, fostering personal growth.

• Building a Toolbox: Initially, Kate felt like everyone else had a fully stocked toolbox for handling challenges. Outpatient care provided practical coping tools, piece by piece, to help her build confidence.

• Finding Independence: With support from Cummings and her family, Kate developed the skills to help herself, empowering her to face life’s obstacles with resilience.

Behavioral outpatient care at Children’s in addition to the new Behavioral Health & Wellness Center offers personalized, practical support for families to provide a new era of hope and healing for children and teens like Kate.

The Work of Healing Depression and Anxiety

A key part of Kate’s progress was driven by her willingness to engage in the healing process.

"I think Kate's transformation began when she found hope and really focused on what she has control over,” Cumming says. “Kate described it as feeling like she was in quicksand, but there were arms reached out to help her, and she grabbed onto those arms. The most powerful part of Kate’s commitment was realizing she had to do the work to pull herself out.”

Kate embraced this philosophy. After completing the partial hospitalization program, she continued seeing Cumming for therapy and poured her energy into activities that brought her joy and strength. She leaned on her friends and family, who were a constant source of support and decided to try something new: wrestling.

“I started wrestling because I knew being active would make my mental health better,” Kate says.

Wrestling helped her meet new friends, taught her about determination and built up her resilience in a new way. This, combined with her lifelong passions for music and theater, became the keys to her path forward.

A Message of Hope

Today, Kate is thriving, and her experience with recovery has given her a new perspective.

"The thought that there's a chance I could not be here today spurs me to live every moment to the fullest," she says. "I plan to live every second of my life to the most it can be."

How Families Can Support Teens Through Depression

Kate and her family have grown closer. Supporting a teen through depression can look different for every child and family. For Kate and her family, their path of support in depression recovery included:

• Prioritizing open communication and time together

• Sharing their story with teen depression recovery to help others who may be struggling

• Knowing therapy is a safe space where you can be yourself

Through the support of her family, Kate has been able to extend her support to others. Kate also wants young people to understand that everyone’s struggles are valid.

"You don't deserve help any less because other people have it worse," she insists. "In fact, you deserve it just the same as everyone else."

Cumming echoes this sentiment, stressing that mental health challenges are common.

"There are so many people struggling with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, self-harm...and there is a way out of it," she says. "We want to instill hope. Though it might take some time, you can feel better."

What Parents Should Know About Their Child’s Depression

For parents who find themselves suddenly navigating their child’s mental health crisis, Heidi and Kevin’s advice is simple: take the first step.

"These parents need to know they didn't do anything wrong. These kids have a lot of stuff going on with phones and social media and everything, and you can try your hardest, but you never know. So, don’t be afraid to say, ‘Hey, I think we need some help with this. There is help there for you,” Kevin says.

Kevin and Heidi also credit the communication and guidance from the team at Children's – everyone from the front desk staff to the clinical care team – for providing a lifeline in those dark days and helping their family get Kate back on her feet.