Do Kids Really Get Depressed?
Even though people prefer to think of childhood as a happy time, free from worry and stress, it is not always the case. As life has become increasingly more complex, children are faced with more challenges than ever before. If adults are having trouble navigating their worlds and all of the problems that naturally occur, imagine what it must be like for children! Popular thought used to be that children didn't suffer from such complex disorders and thus labeling a child with depression merely provided an excuse for the behavior being exhibited.
Adolescence
As for adolescence, it is a period filled with hormones, rebellion, and moodiness. How easy it is to dismiss an adolescent's latest phase as “just being a teenager!” One mother used to call it the “uglies” whenever her daughter flew into a crying rage. She readily admitted that she secretly believed the child was behaving like that in order to get attention. It wasn't until a teacher mentioned the possibility of depression that she looked a little more closely at her daughter.
While teenagers can make you feel utterly helpless and hopeless, some of the behaviors they exhibit might actually be the result of depression. You wouldn't be the first to miss the signals, and you most certainly won't be the last.
Essential
In order to recognize and address depression quickly, it's crucial to have an open dialogue with your child. Resist the urge to do all the talking. A child will talk more freely in a relaxed atmosphere. Listening and being observant during this time will teach you more than you realize!
Just as you are forced to keep up with the latest trends in music, dating, resources, and schools, you have to keep up with what is seemingly “normal” for your child. It becomes easy to compare children, but let's face it, there are no two alike. That is why communication becomes key in order to stay hip and to recognize if anything's out of character with your child.
Staying hip does not mean you must act like an adolescent yourself. What matters is that you realize what is important in your teen's particular world and how these trends and situations are affecting him.
Is It Depression?
Kids do get depressed. Some are mildly depressed, which, if that is the case, will probably go away on its own. Others get seriously depressed so quickly that it incapacitates them before anyone realizes there's a problem. Maintaining a balance between worrying too little and too much is hard to do. However, just because children get depressed does not mean they always know how to tell you.
Alert!
When your child says to get off his back and quit worrying so much, follow your gut. If you feel there is something wrong, check it out. Resist the urge to be liked by your child. Don't be afraid to ask questions and to bug him. He will get over it!
In fact, they are superb at pretending everything is fine. But deep down, they look to you for guidance and help. They need you to understand that something is not quite right and that how they feel needs to be taken seriously.
The good news is that depression is not only preventable but also treatable if it occurs. Parents have a lot of trouble admitting there might be something wrong with their child, but neglecting the problem is not the answer.
