How Can I Help My Depressed Child?
Children can suffer from depression just like adults. It is perfectly normal for our children to tell us or show us that they feel down, unhappy, annoyed or discouraged for a short period of time. But depressed children are a completely different matter. We need to know how to distinguish between expressions of negative emotions and the presence of a disease.
When negative emotions arise in a child, and the thoughts invade slowly but surely, it can disrupt various aspects of life, such as school performance or time with family. It may be a sign of depression. Can we as parents do anything to help them in this situation? Yes, we can. Keep reading to find out more about depression in children and what you can do about it.
How do I know if my child has depression?
Before we can cure it, we must first know if this is really the problem our child is suffering from. To do this, we need to be aware of a number of signs that may indicate that they are actually depressed. But no matter, we must always seek a professional to diagnose if we think we may have depressed children.
The signs we should pay attention to are: irritable or depressed mood, behavioral or disciplinary problems, loss of interest or joy, low self-esteem, social isolation, restlessness, difficulty concentrating and feelings of worthlessness and despair.
Other worrying symptoms are: loss of appetite, frequent crying, sleep disturbances (both too much or too little), physical complaints, fatigue, weight gain or loss, attempts at self-harm, growth and weight inappropriate for the child’s age and development, and last but not least, to talk about or attempt to commit suicide.
Keep in mind that these circumstances may also be associated with other problems or disorders. This can make it difficult for parents to define whether it is depression or something else. What is clear is that this shows that both we and the child need help. Let’s ask for it!
Depression in children – What can I do?
Apart from professional help, it is important that we as parents do our bit to help our child. First, if the child has low self-esteem and a tendency to criticize themselves, we can praise them and emphasize the positive. In a sincere way of course! We should carefully ask him or her in an understanding way about the negative feelings they have about themselves, and point out when they project them onto others.
In depression, it is common to have feelings of guilt. When this happens, you should help your child distinguish between what they can control and what they cannot. If they show signs of helplessness or despair, we should encourage them to write down their feelings, or to talk about them. They should start by writing down pleasant thoughts about themselves three to four times a day. At first it will be difficult, but it is an exercise that will help the child to develop healthy feelings about himself.
If we see that the child loses interest in things and is sad, we should organize an interesting daily activity. It is also worth planning special events and having time to talk regularly about nice family topics. Family life is crucial to all of this. If the family environment is stable, it will contribute significantly. What do we mean by this? To maintain a routine and reduce changes in the family situation. If there are any changes, we should mention them in advance to try to reduce unwanted worries.
And finally, if we observe thoughts or signs related to suicide, then we must go and see a specialist as soon as possible.
In short, it is important to support depressed children as much as possible, and to give them as much help as possible. His or her sadness and negative thoughts are important and should be thoroughly addressed. Depressed children should no longer be a taboo subject, so let’s do a little to raise awareness.
Photos used with permission of Annie Spratt and London Scout.
