A very common disease which has affected more than fifty percent of world’s population today is depression. And, the saddest truth about depression is that children are also amongst the sufferers of depression. When we feel sad and down sometimes maybe things don’t go our way, we get hurt, or we lose someone close to us and children are no different. But having depression is more than just being sad. Depression affects the way we think, and how we see ourselves and our future. Along with feeling sad or irritable, it may seem that nothing is worthwhile and that things will never get better.
Depression is a serious issue and when it is in children, it really needs to be handled very well. Depression can stop kids enjoying the things they normally like doing, or taking part in their usual activities. The worst part is that, children facing the problem of depression actually are not aware under which problem they are. Being parents or guardians, it is important to keep a close eye on their activities and spot the disease.
Common Signs of Depression in Children
It is actually very difficult for children to tell and explain that they are feeling or suffering from depression. They can be unexpressive sometimes and especially when it is depression. However, there are a few key signs and symptoms to look out for particularly if they happen together over several weeks and are out of character for your child. We are mentioning below the common signs and symptoms of depression amongst children that will help you out in spotting the disease so that, the timely treatment and counseling should be given.
- They have low energy and are difficult to motivate. If they are showing such sign that it can be an alarm of depression.
- They lose interest easily in an activity they usually enjoy. As a result of that, they prefer to keep them in solitude with a cut from friends and family.
- They have difficulty listening and concentrating on tasks. This is a very major sign of depression and something that you should take on a serious note.
- They make negative comments about themselves. If you spot your kid making negative comments about them on any issue then it should be treated at that time only.
- The withdrawal from social situations, not want to spend time with friends, is also a sign that everything in their mind is not well. They need your support at this point of time and you should handle the things very well.
- They look for what’s wrong rather than see the positives in situations. Their mind is completely filled with negative things even on positive points, they go low and depressed.
- It is very difficult to please them because they create their own shell and it becomes tough for them to come out of that.
- They can be irritable, agitated, easily annoyed or upset and sometimes that too without any reason. In everything they can show this kind of behavior hence it is something that has to be dealt very sensitively.
- They can seem sad and cry easily and be difficult to soothe them. At this point, it is really very difficult for them to control their emotions.
- They either have no interest in food or overeat. The eating disorder is also a sign that child is suffering from depression problem.
- They have problems going to sleep or staying asleep, waking early, or sleeping a lot.
As the symptoms of depression are often characterized by negative behavior such as irritability or whining, it’s easy to feel annoyed and to blame or punish the child for their behavior. This can result in other signs of depression being missed. If you find that your child is facing any such kind of things, then it is very important to get a consultation from doctor. Dr. Shashi Bhushan is a reputed child psychiatrist in Delhi. You can also take his appointment online and get the best and timely treatment by Dr. Bhushan.
