My 8 year old DS was just diagnosed with depression. Does anyone have experience with depression in someone so young? He is seeing a therapist and it's recommended that he try meds with the therapy. I have never really seen or heard much about depression in young children. Any help or advice will be apreciated.
Thanks for all the advice. I will be following up with his ped to see what her recommendations are. I will speak with his actual therapist so that he can utilize more cognitive behavioral therapy into their sessions. A Neuropsychologist did his testing and will send reports to them.
Thanks for the suggestions to join a support group. I did not think of them and will pursue that asap.
I am very sad for DS but optimistic that this was caught fairly early.
I'm sorry to hear this. You're a good Momma for getting him help! I would REALLY look into some nutritional therapies before medication. Avoiding sugars and grains, supplementing with Krill oil and Vitamin D. Here's a article to help more: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/0...
HTH! =)
My college roommate suffered from depression and 2 of her 3 kids have it too. Since she dealt with it in herself, she recognized it in her kids. They have been helped by therapy and medication. Both mom and kids are doing well. At times the kids rebelled and decided that they they did not need meds anymore (teen years) but after some issues arose and the family discussed what would be best for all, the kids continued meds. They both told her (now that they are older) that the meds "make me feel like myself". I know my girlfriend (the mom) tried at times to do without meds since taking them made her feel like she was dependent on them, but she also came to the conclusion that she feels better and her happier self can come out when she does take meds. She also found that mediation works wonders for her, and I think her kids tried yoga.
Pat yourself on the back for being so alert and dealing with it instead of just writing it off as a "phase". Seeing your perfect child in distress can be very depressing on its own, so make sure you take care of yourself as well.
Also make sure to speak of him in terms of his strengths, especially to others and especially when he is within hearing. Just like a blind person is not defined by their blindness, your son is not just his depression, but has his own unique personality and strengths. I would imagine that empathy and depth of feeling are character traits for him.
Good luck.
I would be very cautious with meds if I were in your situation, as many of the anti-depressants on the market have not been tested on children. If you choose to pursue meds, be sure to seek a psychiatrist who specializes in working with children.
Along with therapy and meds he tries, keep him on a structured routine, have him in activities, give him healthy snacks/meals, make sure he is getting plenty of excersize, help him build his confidence and outlook on life, keep family time regular, spend plenty of one on one time with him and make sure he feels loved and accepted...
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/understand...#
M.,
My sister, was pretty much born with depression. Well, probably not...but she was depressed from a very, very young age. Much younger then your son. Family counseling helps, because it really is something the entire family needs to learn how to cope with. Play therapy is really helpful. Like others, I recommend finding a support group. For your son, one on one time might help. My sister really lacked intimate attention. Meaning, attention given just to her and undivided. Going out to eat, doing a puzzle with no distractions, etc. The few times my parents did this, it helped. Incidentally, it helped THEM too. Sorry you're going through this. Definitely reach out into your community and find other folks in your boat. There is nothing like other parent's personal experiences to help yours.
try Google search and see if there are community support groups, for things like this. And for kids.
Or, look for an online "kids" depression community website or organization. There often is.
My now 13 year old was diagnosed early with ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder and depressive tendencies. One of the things that has helped us the most was behavioral therapy. She gave me some GREAT tips for how to handle his good behavior and his negative behavior with consequences and how to recognize things that would build his self esteem, a very important issue in a child with so much going on! I have also found that since my child is not an athletic child, focusing on finding other groups/activities for him to participate in has been very important... Especially with schools putting so much emphasis on athletics. He does excellent in quiz bowl and very much enjoys Boy Scouts, goes to church camp every year, and rides his bike for miles and miles with his friends. Because of the behavioral therapy and esteem building, I chose not to medicate for depression and he is now off of his ADHD meds, but this was a personal choice, and every child is different, every situation is different, and each person's needs are different. Best of luck to you and your child! Kudos for being so attentive!!
Please ask the doctor for the name of an association or other group for parents of children with depression. Find a support group (local hospitals or health care systems often offer these) for parents of young children with depression. You will benefit greatly from hearing the real experiences of parents who have been exactly where you are now. Support groups can tell you so much about what to expect, what will surprise you, and how to cope.
It is much more common than you might think. It is often a condition that is present with other mental issues such as ADHD, Anxiety Disorder, etc. Our 10 yr. old son has ADHD, Anxiety Disorder, and Learning Disabilities. He was put on Vyvanse for the ADHD, which has helped a LOT with focusing at school & with homework (but not with impulsiveness). He was also put on a low dose of Zoloft for depression. His anxiety over daily happenings, changes of plans, etc., was causing him to have major melt downs and moody spells where he was very depressed. The Zoloft helped a LOT. He rarely has melt downs, moodiness, or depression. The medicine evened out his moods and helped with the depression.
