Premarital Counseling: Making Sure You Are Compatible

Depression: Is Your Child Suffering From It?

by Ramona Terry

As a parent, you undoubtedly try to do everything within your capabilities to ensure that you child is leading a healthy and fulfilled life. However, falling ill is something that is bound to happen and just as you would seek treatment for a physical disease, so should you if you suspect your child is depressed. A misconception some people may have about depression is that it is simply psychological. The reality is that low levels of the hormone dopamine or high levels of cortisol could lead to your child developing depression, anxiety and a host of other conditions. Thus, this should be treated as a medical condition. To be on the safe side, it is best to know how to spot the symptoms as your child may not be equipped to explain to you what they are feeling. Below are some of the symptoms that could indicate your child could be depressed.

Sudden behavioural changes

One of the telltale signs that you child may be suffering from depression is if they undergo sudden behavioural changes. For instance, if your child has been fairly well behaved and they are suddenly lashing out or having bursts of anger, then you should be concerned of about an underlying problem.

On the other hand, if your child has been fairly talkative and they suddenly become a recluse, it could also indicate that they may be going through depression. You should also pay close attention to their grades as a sudden drop in their performance could signal that they are not in a good state of mind.

Being constantly unmotivated

Whether your child is extroverted or introverted, they will have some activities that they are passionate about. This could be spending time with their friends, watching their favourite television shows, playing their favourite video games and more. If you notice that your child is no longer motivated to engage in the activities that used to give them joy before, you should be wary of an emotional problem.

This demotivation could also affect their school life, as changes are they will start to withdraw from school activities or even begin to withdraw from their friendships. Instead of forcing them to take part in these activities, you should try to provide a safe space for them to communicate. This could be informally at home or you could have them talk to a professional if they would be more comfortable with opening up to them.

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