Symptoms of Childhood Depression Part 1

Welcome to my first post.  I know that sometimes therapists and psychologist talk and write about childhood depression in clinical language that not everybody recognizes.  My intent is to write about childhood depression in language that most anyone can understand. 

 

This blog will be about the different aspects of childhood depression, showing examples of what a child with depression can go through and what I went through.  I began suffering from depression when I was 5 years old and continued to suffer throughout childhood.  At the time I didn’t know what was wrong with me but I knew I was somehow different.  As an adult I wanted to help people like myself so I earned my Masters of Science degree in Clinical Psychology.  In my posts I will be using my education, a lot of my own experiences with childhood depression and also some experiences of people I’ve worked with to give examples of the issues being discussed. 

 

If you are concerned that your child is suffering from depression please take the child to a therapist, counselor or other mental health professional for assessment.  Some of the symptoms of childhood depression are normal to have every once in a while but if the child has 3 or more of these symptoms that last most of the day, nearly every day for more than 2 weeks then it could be a concern.  Now I will get started with the symptoms.

 

Often times children who suffer from depression can have a lot of physical problems.  Emotional distress, pain and anxiety can cause headaches, nausea, stomach pain, muscles aches and even vomiting.  A child’s stomach can feel like it’s in knots; turning and churning, always tight, always tense.  The tension in a depressed child’s body can cause a lot of the physical issues they may have.    

 

On a personal note, I had a lot of physical complaints and illnesses like headaches and stomachaches but I also had earaches, jaw pain and back pain.  The headaches, earaches and jaw pain were caused by the stress and strain depression puts on a child’s mind and body.  My jaw muscles were so tense all the time, I would grit and grind my teeth.  This caused pain in my head, neck and face.  My back pain was caused by the tension in my body as well but I also used it as an excuse so I wouldn’t have to go to school. 

 

I loved learning and still do but I sometimes wanted to stay home because of my anxiety or because I didn’t want people at school to see me cry.  Depressed children can have a hard time controlling their tears.  At times I tried to hide my crying by rubbing my eyes really hard and saying my allergies were bothering me.  I needed a reason for red, watery, puffy eyes.  It was a helpful excuse. 

 

Another sign to look for is sadness or irritability.  A depressed child may not seem happy or smile very often.  If they do smile it can be because they want to hide how they really feel.  A depressed child may cry a lot or cry very easily.  They may be overly sensitive to criticism, rejection, failure or even something as simple as someone raising their voice can make the child cry.  Depression in quiet, shy children may be harder to recognize because they seem to have a tendency to turn their pain inward at themselves, blaming themselves.  They’re the ones who may be more likely to hide their pain. 

 

A depressed child may seem very moody.  One minute they can be fine, the next minute they are crying and throwing a tantrum.  Depression in some children can come out as irritability, anger and as acting out.  They may yell, argue or fight with a parent or other child.  They may scream and throw things or do things they know they aren’t supposed to do. 

 

Depressed children may be very fussy and whine more than other children.  The caregiver may have a very hard time trying to sooth a depressed child.  She may try talking to the child, holding him, hugging her or maybe even yelling but nothing seems to help.  Taking care of a depressed child can be more frustrating.  If you notice you are more frustrated by a child than by other children, that could be a concern.  Just remember the child is not being difficult on purpose or to bother you, they are suffering and don’t know what’s wrong or how to express their pain.  They need a little patience, a good therapist and a lot of love. 

 

This post is running a bit long so I’ll end here.  In my next post I will talk more about the symptoms of childhood depression.  I welcome any comments you may have.  I just ask that everyone be respectful.  I’d also like to hear about other people’s experiences with childhood depression.  Thank you so much for your interest and attention.