She had mentioned things to me in elementary school, and I just didn't hear it. For the Prestons, it came in Rebekah's early high-school years, when she started running away from home and disappearing for hours at a time. Specifically, one day, Rebekah, usually quiet and reserved, stood on a desk in her German class and began a loud, rancorous comedy routine. Monica Preston said she started comparing notes with other families. It was much more bizarre than what the other kids were doing.
Depressed teens behave in exaggerated fashions.
It may be normal for teens to lock themselves in their room for privacy, but if a teen is doing it for days, even weeks at a time, there may be an underlying problem. It took five years, but Rebekah finally received the right diagnosis and the right medication, one that controls her depression but doesn't stimulate her mania. She has been stable for the past few months. Experts say it's easy for parents to feel guilty that they didn't get help for teens with mental illnesses. Monica Preston sure did.