There are many critical times in a child's life. At age 1, most children learn to walk. By age 6, most have started school. By 7, most are learning to read. According to Dr. Barbara Herman, age 15 also is critical. But unlike other ages, which come with happy milestones, age 15 "is the killer" -- it's when teens are most likely to seek help from a mental health professional. Herman is a psychologi

Christy Burke, 14, knows firsthand what depression is like. It is an "uncontrollable and spontaneous sadness," she said. Here is the story of how she has dealt with this devastating condition. "It really started in fifth grade and progressed from there. I was sexually harassed by someone I was in a relationship with, and I had a real hard time getting out of that. So that probably started it, and

Two summers ago, Niki Bastian argued with her grandmother about going swimming. Her grandmother felt that she should do something besides hanging around the pool with her friends. Niki, 18, who lives in Los Angeles, had heard supermodel and actress Tyra Banks on the radio, talking about TZone, her summer camp. With applications due that day, Niki persuaded her grandmother to let her apply. Founded

If someone close to you died, you probably would not know how to deal with the resulting emotions. You might not know where to turn for comfort and support. Nearly 14,000 kids have found help with their grief at the Dougy Center in Portland, Ore. The center helps young people find a way to deal with the deaths of family members and friends. "We exist so that they won't have to feel isolated and al

For two campers, the idea of increasing self-esteem became reality at TZone. Christina Carlos, 14, and Mara Bochenek, 15, found confidence and new perspectives on life. Christina: "I'm really like a shy person. I've always wanted to try out for like cheerleading and stuff like that, but I'm always too shy. They said (the camp) also was for your self-esteem, so I was like, 'OK maybe I can go and ge

Bipolar disorder is a condition that causes drastic swings in sufferers' moods and outlook. Zack Lamm, 22, a computer programming student at ITT Tech, has been living with the disorder since his teens. Here is his story: "It is like a curse. I've learned a lot more about myself because I've had to basically dig deep down inside myself and try to understand what part of me is the illness and what p

"It's like living in the shadow of how I used to be." Barbara Penrod, 16, a student at Lawrence Central High School, has obsessive-compulsive disorder. It affects about 1 million U.S. children, according to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. "An obsession is an unwanted thought that you think about constantly," Barbara said. "And a compulsion is something that you do to rid yourself of th

Bipolar disorder has been described as a roller coaster, with manic highs and depressive lows. "In a manic period, there's really no sleep involved -- like you stay up for a long time. It can be very productive. You can get things done for a while, then you start to lose your focus and you can't pay attention, and you just start to kind of come apart at the seams," says Zack Lamm, 22, an ITT Tech

Beauty is only skin deep. Many teens might agree with that statement but are unwilling to look below the surface. Last year, 79,501 patients age 18 and younger had cosmetic surgery, compared with 11,868 in 1992, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Even though most teens won't have plastic surgery, many don't feel comfortable with their appearances. They look to movies, TV progra