A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression

Depression and related illnesses threaten to wreck the lives of many teens and their families. Suicide driven by these illnesses is one of the top killers of these young people. How do teens become depressed? What does depression feel like? How can we identify it? What helps depressed teens? What hurts them? How do families cope with teen depression? In A Relentless Hope Gary Nelson uses his experience as a pastor and pastoral counselor to guide the reader through an exploration of these and many other questions about teen depression. Nelson has worked with many teens over the years offering help to those who find themselves confronted by this potentially devastating attacker. The author also uses the story of his own son's journey through depression to weave together insights into the spiritual, emotional, cognitive, biological, and relational dimensions of teen depression. Through careful analysis, candid self-revelation, practical advice, and even humor, this pastor, counselor, and father reminds us that God's light of healing can shine through the darkness of depression and offer hope. A Relentless Hope is written for teens, parents, teachers, pastors, and any who walk with the afflicted through this valley of the shadow of death.

Gary E. Nelson is a United Methodist pastor and pastoral counselor, having served as a pastor of local churches and a pastoral counselor in clinical practice for thirty-five years. Currently he serves a church in West Virginia and offers free seminars on teen depression for schools, churches, and professional groups around the country. He is the author of A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression (2007).