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The National Alliance on Mental Illness found
that one in 5 Americans are affected by mental
health conditions. When you understand some of the
misconceptions and how to appropriately communicate
with someone who may be down or anxious, they will
be less likely to feel the shame and fear that can often
come along with struggling in silence.
Depression affects all ages. There
are a variety of reasons a kid may be depressed. “A lot
comes from stressors from school, expectations from
parents or being bullied or cyberbullied,” said Lucy
Tovar Murillo, LPC at Columbus Counseling Associates.
Depression has other negative ramifications. “It can
lead to self-harm behaviors, hopelessness, low selfworth
and low self-esteem,” said Murillo. Since your
child’s stressors may not be the same as yours it can
be hard to understand at times. “Show some empathy
for your child and do not just dismiss them on what
they are going through because it contributes to the
depression more when they are not believed or even
disappointing parents,” said Murillo.
Although you may do everything in your power to
keep your child happy, he can still become depressed.
There is no surefire prevention. “Having an open
line of communication is important and noticing
changes like your kid isolating himself, not eating
or overeating or not doing things they enjoy,” said
Murillo. You may want to create a welcoming space
in your home where you sit down with your child and
talk. That way when hard things arise he will be more
willing to share versus dealing with it in his own way.
Socializing matters, but the support
of peers does not replace the necessary support of
elders. “It is wonderful to have someone you can talk
to and be as open and raw as you want but I would
encourage kids to have one trusted adult they can
go to because kids do not know what to do versus
an adult that would have the means to get support,”
said Murillo.
The other common issue kids face
is anxiety. “They may have irrational fears
of something that can be debilitating and make
them sick,” said Murillo. A lot of times if a child is
depressed, the anxiety will be co-occurring. When
you minimize your child or tell him that what he is
going through is okay, you are actually deterring him
from opening up to you. “Some interventions include
calming techniques like visualizing a calm, safe place
or having something that will take attention off of
the anxiety or fear or doing something productive
with their hands,” said Murillo. Mindfulness and
grounding techniques can be very helpful.
Professional help is always an
option. Anxiety is usually more obvious than
depression. You can get an assessment from a
counselor to see if your child needs therapy if you
have concerns. “I have a biofeedback program that
helps train the client how to control breathing so if
they are anxious they can control themselves on a
biological level,” said Murillo. Calming of the mind
even through yoga or meditation are great avenues
to take as well. “For adults it is about knowing their
limits of stress and pushing through it, being good
to yourself and taking time out for yourself,” Murillo
shared. Lifestyle choices like a healthy diet and less
screen time can make you feel better. While there
is no magic wand to cure depression, you can make
purposeful choices and create a welcoming area to
come together as a family and talk things out.
LOCAL RESOURCES
APT Counseling Services, drambroespass-turner.com
Columbus Counseling Associates, ccacolumbus.com
The Psychology Clinic, thepsychologyclinic.net
Hoo’s helpful
discussing
/drambroespass-turner.com
/ccacolumbus.com
/thepsychologyclinic.net