Childhood Depression Taints Innocence
Depression is a commonly recognized disorder in adults. However, it is only recently that people have begun to acknowledge the severity of childhood depression. Depression in children is a major health problem, and it impacts their lives as much as it affects the lives of adults with the disorder, if not more. The severity of childhood depression calls for immediate treatment, but there are several roadblocks that have the potential to prevent children from getting the help that they need.
Searching For The Symptoms
Just like adult depression, childhood depression is marked by numerous symptoms. However, recognizing these symptoms is one of the major roadblocks when it comes to treating childhood depression. This is because symptoms are often mistaken for behavioral problems, Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and other such conditions.
Another reason that symptoms of depression in children are hard to identify is that they tend to differ from those exhibited by adults with depression. Although many of the underlying causes are the same in adults in children, the resulting symptoms can be very different. Generally, symptoms of childhood depression are only recognized if they are extremely obvious. This can be detrimental to the long term health of the child, so it is important to recognize symptoms as soon as possible.
Compare And Contrast
Symptoms of childhood depression frequently correspond to those of adult depression with a few significant differences. For example, while one symptom of an adult with depression might be a depressed or sad mood, a child with depression might reflect this symptom by being irritable, aggressive, argumentative, and by whining or crying.
While adults tend to lose their ability to feel pleasure when they are affected by depression, children exhibit this symptom in that they are not as playful, motivated, and curious as they once were, or they might experience frequent boredom. While depressed adults usually experience weight changes, children might not gain weight as is normal for their stage of development.
Adults with depression often feel guilty and worthless, and they consider death and suicide. Children tend to be more vocal about such things, and will often say things like "I'm stupid" or "You hate me" or "I wish I had never been born."
Seeing The Signs
It is important to identify the signs of childhood depression as soon as possible. The sooner you see the signs that your child might be suffering from childhood depression, the sooner you will be able to get them the help that they need.
