How can you help a child with symptoms of depression?

The depression is no longer a disease of adults only. Today, more and more children and adolescents are being diagnosed with the disorder of depression .

Depression is a serious mood alteration, something very different from sadness, and it requires specific treatment. Children and adolescents, like adults, can show feelings of unhappiness, sadness, discouragement, apathy, irritability, etc., but most of them recover quickly from these moods. On the other hand, there is a small percentage of children and adolescents who may suffer from depressive symptoms during their childhood and / or adolescence , and this is where we must pay special attention since timely help or intervention can save us many problems in the future.

HOW TO HELP A CHILD WITH SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION?

We are going to see some of the most common symptoms of depression in children and how to help them with each of them:

  1. Low self-esteem and a tendency to criticize oneself : sincerely flatter the child when he does something well, no matter how simple it may have been; emphasize positive things in a supportive way, challenge the child’s self-criticism, and point out negative thoughts when they occur.
  2. Guilt : helps the child to distinguish between events that he can control and those that are out of his reach; Teach him to start talking positively about himself.
  3. Hopelessness and helplessness : teach the child to write or talk about his feelings; try to help him learn to write down the positive thoughts that he has throughout the day so that he sees that not everything is negative.
  4. Loss of interest and sadness : prepare an interesting activity for the day; plan special events; Discuss pleasant topics.
  5. Appetite and change in eating routines : it is good that you do not force him to eat if he does not want to, it is better that you prepare his favorite foods and that mealtime is a pleasant moment for him.
  6. Sleep problems : keep a routine for bedtime; perform relaxing activities with him such as reading or listening to soft music; end the day in the most positive way you can.
  7. Agitation and restlessness : change the activities that cause agitation; teach your child relaxation techniques; even a massage can help; the practice of activities and exercise are also highly recommended.
  8. Excessive fears : try to reduce or plan in advance the situations that cause you uncertainty, in this way your anxiety will be reduced. Support and reassure him.
  9. Difficulty concentrating or thinking : Encourage and encourage the child to participate in activities, games, talks with family and friends to promote learning.
  10. Suicidal thoughts : you must be very alert to the signs of suicide; If these appear, seek professional help immediately.

If the  depression  does not disappear, it is best to contact a  specialist psychologist .

If you need a  child psychologist   to  overcome childhood depression in children , do not hesitate to  contact  us, we attend in person and  online .

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Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.

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