Depression Is Not A Game For Children

Depression is a problem that affects many people.  The lifestyle we follow, the inability to solve some problems effectively and the circumstances we have experienced can lead us to suffer from this disorder. This disease marks us, makes us impossible, harms us. However, does depression only affect adults?

We believe that this disease affects only adults, but even the smallest can suffer from it. This is the so-called pediatric or childhood depression and its symptoms are very different from those suffered by adults. Think that children find it much more difficult to manage their emotions, since they are new to them and, moreover, the zone of self-control is not fully developed in their brain.

Babies can suffer from depression

If it already seems strange to you that children can suffer from depression, think about the possibility that infants are the victims of this disorder. How can a newborn suffer from depression? In these cases, a clear genetic component or the fact that the mother has suffered from depression in the past or that she has post-partum depression, which affects the newborn, can be influenced.

When a newborn suffers from depression, some of the symptoms that can draw our attention are crying and eating problems.  A baby, in general, has no problems eating and his crying has a specific purpose: physiological needs, discomfort or pain. If the problems occur in these aspects and the symptoms are accentuated, we could find ourselves in front of a case of childhood depression.

Another of the symptoms that can make us worry is the “lethargy” manifested by the newborn. Babies usually cry, are active, move, try to speak, observe with curiosity. When they don’t, when they always seem tired, they are not active, they have lost eyes, we need to start worrying. This is abnormal.

Is it strange that a child suffers from this disorder? These are not frequent cases, although symptoms of depression in newborns are often ignored and appear more strongly in childhood. During this phase, the symptoms will be more evident, although very different from those of adults.

Symptoms of Depression in Children

It is very important as parents to pay attention to any possible clues that our child is unwell, feeling sad or unhappy.  Sometimes the work and worries of “adults” make us interpret the sadness of our children as a lesser evil or, simply, as mood changes or emotional alterations resulting from their age.

• Lack of interest in playing or socializing with other children:  it is not normal for a child, who is experimenting new things and adapting to the world, not to want to play and make new friends. Disinterest in school is also not normal, as it is all new to children, who usually have a great thirst for knowledge.

• Low or no self-esteem:  if you realize that your child is not doing well at all, that anything hurts or that he says phrases such as “I am not capable”, “I can not do it”, “I am bad”, you must pay attention. Children try, they are wrong, but this does not make them feel stupid and useless. If they feel that way, we are faced with a problem.

• They lock themselves in their room and avoid contact with the family:  if your child spends a lot of time in his room, even reading or doing anything else, and avoids contact with other family members, maybe you should worry.

• They experience pain or discomfort for no apparent reason:  children find it very difficult to express their emotions and identify them, because they are still learning to manage them. If they sleep too much, have stomach ache frequently or feel pain in any other part of the body for no apparent reason, perhaps we are faced with a depressive picture.

It is necessary that all the symptoms are prolonged in time to think that it is a serious problem and not a temporary situation.  In addition, it is very important to consult a professional if in doubt or if symptoms persist. The sooner you identify the problem, the sooner you can remedy it. Why Depression Isn’t a Game for Children!