Signs That Your Young Child May Be Suffering From Chronic Depression People generally think of childhood as a happy, carefree time when we...
Signs That Your Young Child May Be Suffering From Chronic Depression
People generally think of childhood as a happy,
carefree time when we learn about the world and aren't saddled with too much
responsibility. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case, and just like
adults, young children can suffer from chronic depression. It's normal for
young children to have a bad day and feel sad or grouchy about something
unfortunate that has happened in their life, but when these negative emotions
persist for more than several weeks it's time to take action.
The first thing to do is have a chat with your child's
teachers or caregivers. Highly skilled and dedicated professionals like those
giving childcare in Granville will have training in child psychology and will
be able to give parents insights into how their child is behaving during the
day, as well as what may be going on in his or her school life. If there is a
problem that is happening under their watchful eye they are your first line of
defence and will do everything they possibly can to help you and your child.
The question concerned parents ask is "How do I
tell if my child is just having a bad couple of days, or if they are really
suffering from clinical depression?" Here are some of the signs to watch
for:
•
Lack of Energy - Feeling deeply depressed is sure
to drain your child's energy and enthusiasm, and their effort to learn new
things at home and at school might decline. They may seem tired and more
willing to give up when faced with a challenge than they did before, or in some
extreme cases, not even try at all.
•
Moodiness - Young children
suffering from depression may appear to be distracted, lonely, sad, unhappy, as
well as being sometimes irritable and prone to complaining. All of these are
normal emotions, but when they carry on for weeks or months there is something deeper
than just a temporary bad mood happening. Watch out for unexpected bouts of
tears or frequent tantrums, those are a young child's way of telling you that
something is wrong!
•
Lack of Enjoyment - Things that your
young child formerly enjoyed might not carry their interest any more, and it
might become obvious that they aren't having as much fun as they used to. They
may lose interest in social activities like playing with friends or visiting loved
ones, preferring to keep to themselves. A young child frequently moping around
alone and not engaging with others is a sure sign of emotional distress.
•
Self Criticism - Young children
who are chronically depressed will often engage in critical self-talk such as
"Nobody likes me", "I can't do anything right!", and
"It's too hard!" This extreme lack of self-confidence and frequent
disparaging of one's self is very harmful to a young child's healthy
development, and must be addressed as soon as it becomes apparent!
•
Changes In Diet And Sleep - Young
children are often picky eaters, but a depressed child may lose all enthusiasm
for foods they formerly relished, or at least tolerated with urging from a
health-conscious parent, preferring to obsess on just one or two usually less
than optimal choices like chips or macaroni and cheese while refusing to eat
anything else. Depression also disrupts healthy sleep patterns, causing your
child to want to stay up far past their bedtimes or sleep late into the
morning.
The Australia National Mental Health
Commission has published a National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing
Strategy, check for more information on their website. We hope
this article helps give you a better understanding of chronic childhood
depression so you can prevent its negative effects on your child's development.
