With
timely treatment and active participation of parents, children
suffering from depression can have a speedy recovery and lead a
healthy adult life.
CHILDREN
have none of the everyday stresses that we adult have. But the truth
is, childhood id far from being without pressure in these days of
changing lifestyle. Nuclear family , loneliness, academic pressure,
etc. all are taking a toll on the young, impressionistic minds,.
Hence, the incidence of childhood depression is on rise.
“The
incidence of childhood depression in India is showing a riseing trend
. Underlying chemical changes in brain, coupled with external factors
such as parental conflict, loss of a dear one, physical or sexual
abuse and academic pressure are some main reasons responsible for
this malady.”
But
you don't hear about these kids as parents do not take them to a
psychiatrist or even a a counselor. They still feel it will bring
shame to the family, say experts
“ Depression
hasn't spared the innocent young minds. Unfortunately, identifying and
treating this disease has been given a step-motherly treatment,
perhaps because we as parents are reluctant to acknowledge that our
children could be susceptible to depression at such a young age,”
what
can you as a parent, teacher or other concerned adult do to help?
The
most important thing you can do is to realize that children can
become depressed just as adults and you should promptly seek out help
if you see the signs of depression in a child. In fact, according to
some international statistics, one in eight adolescents is thought to
have depression. Since childhood and adolescence are marked with
changes, many parents assume that the attitudes, thoughts and
feelings of their children are just stages that they will grow of. In
the process, they often mistake vital signs of depression as
growing-up angst and hence ignore.
SIGNS
YOU SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR:
|
Persistent sadness
|
Hopeless, irritability and getting easily agitated
|
Withdrawing from friends, family and even things they once enjoyed
doing, such as participating in sports or doing a hobby
|
Missing or skipping school or secrease in school performance
|
Indecisive, forgetful and distracted
|
Fell guilty over the way he or she feels and has low self-esteem
“ If
you perceive your child to be possibly experiencing depression, try
and speak to the school counselor or a psychotherapist for proper
counseling and medication, without being conscious of what the people
or society at large would say. As parents we need to be sensitive to
our children's emotions and insecurities, we must talk to them with
full sincerity and look into their eyes as we do so.
Time
and again,we must reassure them that we love them irrespective of their
achievements or failures.”
Children
who suffer from major depression are more likely to suffer from
repeated bouts of depression. With proper medication, monitoring and/
or therapy, a child can be lifted from the dark. But first, you have
to keep a vigil on your child's behavior and ensure the lines of
communication open with your child.
Do you like this post? Please link back to this article by copying one of the codes below.
URL: HTML link code: BB (forum) link code:
No comments:
Post a Comment