By Mary Kruger and Anita Eisenstein
You've noticed that your child is more irratable lately. He seems
to be fighting more with siblings and peers. She doesn't seema as
interested in playing with friends. He is playing by himself more
or increasing his time on the computer. He seems anxious or quick
tempered. She is having trouble sleeping. His eating habits have
changed. Her confidence seems to have evaporated.
These are just a few of the noticable changes a child might exhibit
when depressed. A child can't always tell you what he's feeling.
She might not be able to label her feelings in a way that would
signal that the child is more than just "going through a phase,"
but any signifigant changes could be signs of depression.
As parents, we may be caught off guard. There doesn't seem to be
anything different from our view. The child may be experiencing
difficulties in school or with a peer group and may save her response
until she's at home. Sometimes children intuitively pick up on family
stresses even when the adults haven't shared their concerns with
the child.
Often and outside professional can observe things that family members
can't recognize. If you have any concerns about your child, seeking
support, information or assistance can benefit the child and offer
you tools to assist your child's growth.
|
