Warning Signs
Sometimes children express anxiety or depression differently than adults. While you may be looking for sadness or withdrawal, your child’s way of dealing with depression or anxiety could be by breaking toys and destroying property, having angry outbursts with friends or bullying people at school.
A child may begin to suffer more injuries or develop an eating disorder. If you suspect your child is cutting him or herself, or that previous finicky eating habits have become anorexia, talk to your pediatrician. He or she may be able to help you distinguish normal childhood behavior from potentially unhealthy changes.
Depression often affects sleep patterns, either too much sleeping or sleeping problems, which can cause problems with concentration and school work. Depression robs a person of joy in life and that’s true for children as well as adults. If your child is refusing to do things he or she loved to do before – activities that are still age appropriate – you may want to have your child evaluated for depression.
Sometimes parents see the warning signs first; sometimes it’s a daycare provider or a teacher who is spending hours with your child each day. Be open to hearing what these people have to say. There are many resources you can turn to for support and assistance to help you and your child make it through this temporarily stressful period.
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