If your child wakes up every morning to fight the same demons that he struggled with the last night, he/she surely deserves all the love of the world for his braveness!
Everyone has good and bad days, but for some, the bad days last quite longer than usual. If this case resembles your child's, the possibility is that he/she is suffering from depression. Yes! It is hard to think that an innocent soul has been caught in such a vicious web. But the sooner you would accept it, the better you can help your child.
There is a thin line between helping your child come out of this mess and somewhat messing up things more for him/her.
Read along for the guidelines to bring some positive changes in your depressed child!
• Observe your child’s behavior
Anger, fear, mood swings, disobedience, variance in sleeping routine and appetite, deterioration in school performance, etc. are some of the behavioral changes that your child might be going through. Try to analyze the words and the meanings that he attaches to the words as well as the sentences. It would help you understand his mindset and thereby, work efficiently to bring him out of this loop.
• Be supportive
Once, you know that he is suffering from depression, start spending more time with him. Try to make him realize that no matter what, you’ll be standing by his side always. Lay emphasis on strengthening your relationship rather than digging deep inside him to know what he is going through. Build up the trust so that he opens up on his own to tell you that he is not okay!
Make things conducive for him to return from the black hole that he has been trapped in. There would be times when it would be draining to see him that way. But don’t put the pressure to bring out immediate changes upon him. Give him enough time to revert to normal life.
• Keep a check on the suicidal tendencies
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Start a conversation with your child of what meaning does he attach to the word “life”. Discuss his career plans and what all he wants his life to unfold for him. It would bring in clarity to you regarding the thought process of your child. It may even shake the conscious of your child and he might realize that he has been trapped in a web and he would have to make efforts to come out of it.
If you detect any suicidal feelings or tendencies in your child, better arrange timely assistance from the counseling services providers or some experienced pediatrician. Also, make sure that your home is a safe place for your child. Lock all the hazardous medicines and try to talk to him on a regular basis. These measures would enable him to shift his focus and give some space for his conscious to evaluate that what he is thinking of is not right.
• Take care of health
Ensure your child is having an adequate amount of sleep and a healthy eating routine. As they say, a healthy mind stays in a healthy body. Make sure that his brain gets proper rest. If some fear or insecurity loiters around your child, try always to be there to offer him a supportive hand.
But make sure not to overdo things. Try to persuade your child to agree with what all you are saying but don’t give him directions on everything. You might irritate your child with the over-possessiveness. Take to the child counseling service provider regarding this matter and discuss what can be done in this regard. Learn the art of bringing your child out of the loop without entering his periphery.
• Seek professional help
Don’t ignore the fact that depression is a medical problem and before things get worse, seeking medical help is quintessential. You might be managing things well, but the experienced child counseling providers know better how to tackle such issues.
You may even consult a pediatrician as he can prescribe some medicines to reduce the stress level of your child. There is no substitute for proper medical guidance. What all has been discussed above is going to bring in significant differences, but none can replace the individual counseling sessions and medical treatment.
• Don’t make your child uncomfortable
Time and again, don’t make your child feel as if something is wrong with him or there is some serious problem. Try to boost up his morale now and then without making him think that things are being done around him intentionally.
Give him some space as well to cope up with this situation. Nothing can be more empowering than coming out of such situation with one’s willpower.
Parenting a depressed child won’t be easy. It would drain you now and then but you would have to cope up with all your stress for the sake of your child. In this hustle to bring your child’s life back to normal, don’t forget to take care of yourself. You can make some difference to your child’s life only if you take care of yourself and your family in this testing time.
And, things would get fine soon!