Depression In Children
By Jeff Foster
Kids don’t have problems... right?
Well they are children and life should be joyful and childlike in happiness. However, that is not always the case since depression in children can strike children just as clinical depression can strike adults.
Has your child not been acting like themselves lately?
Have you noticed that your child is not eating as much as usual?
Are your children not enjoying the activities which used to entertain them for hours on end?
This could be due to something that happened recently (bad grades in school, a death in the family, etc.) and has them feeling down in the dumps, but if that’s the case then you should know about it from your child and talk it through. If nothing (apparent to you) has happened recently which would cause this feeling to overwhelm your child, then it could be something more serious; it could be perhaps chronic depression.
Chronic depression is very serious, and when depression in children occurs, it frequently goes unnoticed. In these cases it is up to you to decipher fact from fiction between depression and a time of just being plain sad.
It is possible that your child could be dealing with depression if they have a loss of appetite. Are your kids eating or are your children eating significantly less than is normal for them?
Another symptom of depression to look out for is if your child has been depressed, without reason, for two to four weeks without resolution.
The best way to deal with on-going symptoms of sadness is to again try and talk it out.
Bobby pushed Lisa into the dirt... but that was 2 months ago? What’s wrong with Lisa today?
Another symptom of depression in children is to look for how your children sound when they’re talking to you. Do they seem to sigh a lot? This could be a subtle sign of pediatric depression. Be on the lookout.
Another way to tell if your child is suffering from depression is if they don’t enjoy the activities which they used to. When was the last time your little artist picked up a crayon and a coloring book? Does your child sleep like they used to? If their sleeping pattern seems a little “off” then this could be a problem.
All of these symptoms are “alerts” to you and it’s very important that you are aware of them. If your children match the attributes described above then they could be suffering from chronic depression.
The final note to remember now is that you cannot solve this problem alone. Depression can only be treated by doctors, particularly your child’s pediatrician, so no self-diagnosis please. Also it’s very important that you know that depression won’t go away by itself.
Depression in children is not a sign of weakness.
It is medical condition that requires treatment. Depression in children is treated by professionally trained doctors. If your child seems to match the description above then see a doctor. Although depression in children can be difficult to deal with, but it doesn’t have to exist in your child.
There are treatment options available that can help both you and your child.
About the Author: For more important information on depression be sure to visit
www.0-depression.com where you will find advice and tips on depression self help, depression symptoms, and more.
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