Depression: A Serious Issue To Be Concern

Depression is one of the most common mental health problems that children are facing these days. Millions of children are being affected by this mental disorder every year. Depression isn't just bad moods and occasional melancholy. It's not just feeling down or sad, either. These feelings are normal in kids. Even when major disappointments and setbacks make people feel sad and angry, the negative feelings usually lessen with time.

When a depressive state, or mood, lingers for a long time — weeks, months, or even longer — and limits a person's ability to function normally, it is often diagnosed as depression. Types of depression include: major depression, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, seasonal affective disorder, and bipolar disorder or manic depression. All of these can affect kids in a very early stage. Children and adolescents who have a chronic or severe acute medical illness are vulnerable to a number of emotional problems, including depression and anxiety.

In case of we adults, it is quite easy to make out whether we are depressed or not, but as children can’t express their feelings properly, so it becomes difficult sometime for us to understand them. One difficulty in diagnosing children with depression is that their presentation of symptoms tends to be different from adults. Children with depression often seem more irritable than sad. They may complain of stomachaches and headaches and get easily angry or annoyed with others.

Children with depression are more likely to have trouble falling asleep, whereas adults may sleep too much; children are more likely to be restless and fidgety compared to adults that are sluggish. Children with depression need the help of parents, teachers and their peers to come out of the problem. Paying attention to their problems help these cure a lot. If the symptoms are lingering for an extended period of time or you are seeing severe changes in their personality, it may be time to seek professional help. Teach your child its okay to ask for help when they need it.

Give them a list of people they may talk to such as you, a teacher, or counselor. Be aware of the impact your own responses to life are having on your child. Your child learns coping skills by watching you. Although childhood suicide is rare, it does happen. Always take it very seriously if your child says he feels like he wants to die. Love, care and affection is the only way through which we can help our children with symptoms of depression.