How To Help A Child With Depression
How To Help A Child With Depression
How To Help A Child With Depressionchildhood really carefree? Maybe for some of the lucky ones, but for many, childhood is far from carefree; many children in today's society are suffering from depression of varying severity for them their lives are a million miles away from the carefree, happy childhood we all wish for our children.
It is unlikely that your child will be aware that they are suffering from depression, so they will not come and tell you therefore, it's your responsibility to recognise your child's symptoms. Here's what to look for:
A change in personality Has your child gone from happy go lucky to argumentative and difficult? Are they suddenly clingy when they were previously independent and confident?
Withdrawal or acting out Has your child started spending a lot of time alone in his/her room? Has your previously well behaved child started acting up and getting in trouble at school?
Exhibiting extreme behaviour of any kind Over eating, under eating, not sleeping, sleeping all the time any extreme behaviours are signs to look out for when there are suggestions your child might be unhappy.
If your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms and they last for 6 weeks or longer, it is advisable to contact a professional such as a child counsellor or child psychologist for help.
What can you do to help?
1. Reassure your child that they're normal
Children are very often ashamed of feeling down or depressed, they will often feel that they are not supposed to feel that way and these feelings can add more to the anxiety they are experiencing.
2. Try to understand the cause of your child's depression
In young children, under 10, depression is rarely due to biology, so it's most likely that a stressful life event has caused your child's change in mood. This might be obvious; perhaps you have lost a family member or experienced a family break up. If the cause is less clear to you, talk to your child to ascertain the cause of their depression.
3. Encourage your child to express themselves
Children are extremely bad at expressing their feelings; they're hindered by both vocabulary and awkwardness about the situation. Don't push too hard, but keep an open dialogue going between you and your child about their feelings and what is upsetting them or making them feel angry or confused and they should gradually open up more and more.
4. Keep your child active
Sports and physical activity are good outlets for pent up anger and frustration and will also give your child something else to concentrate on for a short time.
5. Use non-verbal communication
Acting, drawing or painting are all great ways at expressing grief of feelings, encourage your child to indulge in these activities and you'll be surprised what you might learn.
6. Be honest with your child
Trust is extremely important in bringing up well adjusted, happy children. Although it is our nature to protect our children from as much as possible, they're extremely perceptive and will pick up on issues in the environment around them. If your child is asking a direct question, give them an honest answer. This will also give your child confidence that you are trustworthy and they will feel more at ease.
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