can children have depression?

Question

my 8 year old daughter has A.D.D,dyslexia and dyspraxia. she cries all the time and is often in a world of her own. i myself and my dad have suffered from depression for a lot of years and am wondering if it is genetic? althought is probably down to her having add(attention deficency disorder)that she is very tearful i think she is depressed. i have 3 other kids and they do not have any problems. i feel really bad for her because she is such a loving and caring child but she can sometimes act so sad and down. doctors i have spoke to brush it off when i talk about her being depressed. does anyone know if a child so young can suffer from this??????

Answer 1

This website might help you understand child depression. It is a real thing.

http://aacap.org/page.ww?name=The+Depressed+Child§ion=Facts+for+Families

Answer 2

yes, children suffer from depression. It could be genetic, environmental, or caused by medication. Who diagnosed these disorders...did they rule out autism and allergies (food especially)? Has any of the Dr.'s suggested your child and family seek counciling or psychological evaluation at all or did they just name it and give you a Rx? Get off this site and do some real research on the web. Then get both of you to another Dr. (holistic or psych perhaps). Ask questions and if you don't agree or understand speak up and say so . It is your child and your money. Drs. are not God and are not above us. They work for us. At 8, I cried all the time and was so depressed that I barely talked or existed, but there were physical and mental reasons. I had food allergies, genetically disposed to depression/ anxiety, and as a gifted child often does, worried about everything whether in my control or not. I had experienced loss of a parent, been sexually abused by an older boy at the sitters house (and picked on by all the other kids), been verbally and physically assaulted a couple of times by my brother and my dad. There was no one to tell, no one who would believe me, and my mother would only blame me like she did anytime something went wrong and I was around. I just wanted someone to save me and to this day no one has. Take control of this situation. It may be a matter of life or death down the line. If it is this bad now what is puberty going to be like?

Answer 3

Children can and do suffer from depression. Because it is thought that depression is an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, this illness can affect anyone at any age. Because she has other difficulties, this could add to the likelihood that she is suffering from depression, but I would take her to a specialist doctor or paediatrician just to get her assessed properly. =)

To let you know that she definitely isn't one in a million and that it effects many kids, here is an interesting stat- As many as one in every 33 children and approximately one in eight adolescents may have depression. (Centre for Mental Health Services, 1996).

I also found this blurb- I can't remember where I got it from though [sorry]-
Misconceptions About Children and Depression
One of the most common responses to hearing that a child has depression is, "But what does he/she have to be depressed about?" This statement reveals two major misconceptions. One is the lack of understanding about clinical depression. It is not the same as the "blues" or "down" moods that everyone has from time to time, which may actually be caused by unhappiness with one's job, home life or other factors. Clinical depression may resemble these emotional dips, but it is much more pervasive, long-lasting, and life-threatening. It is not necessarily caused by an event or state of affairs in a child's life. The other misconception is that childhood is a carefree, trouble-free period in our lives. How many people can say that they didn't worry about peer acceptance, grades, or parental expectations? Adults often forget that children are powerless and have no control over their own lives. This can be a frightening and frustrating state of affairs to live through day after day.

Answer 4

My 6yr old son has a form of ADHD that has depression with it. It is called Limbic ADHD. He was first being treated for juvinile depression by a therapist but we started testing him for ADHD about three months into the therapy sessions. He cries a lot and has trouble dealing with people saying no to him.....he sees it as everyone rejecting him....not rejecting what he was wanting. It is hard because a lot of the time when he is crying we will ask him what is wrong or why he is crying and he can't tell us because he doesn't even know why he is crying. I would not let the Dr.s pass it off. If you are dealing with just her primary care Dr. than you need to ask to be sent to the Psych department for further help. We do not medicate my son for his ADHD....we use the diet control for right now.....we are waiting to see what happens when he goes back to school. At that time we may need to use meds. I feel for you....I just started my journey with my son and so I know how hard it is to see your child suffer and not know what to do to help. Stick to your guns.......do not let it go on......if you feel there is something wrong than I would go with your mothers intuition......you know your daughter well enough to tell when something just isn't right. Like I said....don't let the Dr. pass it off....you don't want to look back after it is too late and say.....I chould have done more....I knew that she was sad. Good Luck...and there are many books that you can buy at Barnes and Noble and you could check some out at the local library on depression in children.

Answer 5

Heya.

Some doctors these days just don't have a clue! They make me mad!!
Yeah, people any age can get depression wether its as young as 8 or as old as 88..
With your daughter having ADD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia that would make her open to getting things such as Depression from an early age. Having them other problems would drag anyone down enough as it as but a child, they dont have the knoledge and stuff to be able to cope with their emotions and that is probably why they become withdrawn from an early age.
I could go on with myself for ages but i've gone on with myself enough lol.
I think you should see a different doctor to see if he or she can offer your Daugter and yourself any more help with it.
Depression often go's untreated and un-noticed in kids, especially by drs who often tend to blame it on the childs emotions and stuff.
I hope your daughter gets seen to and starts to feel a bit happier soon because untreated depression in childhood is what sometimes leads to further mental health problems in later life for the child.
I wish you all the best to you and your daughter. Hope you find someone who can treat your little one.

Take care, Vicki x

Answer 6

yes children can sometimes have very severe depression and feeling different to their peers can be a trigger factor in the illness. As she has A.D.D dyslexia and dyspraxia she is almost certainly aware that she is different to children of her age even if she doesn't fully understand why. If someone of any age feels different to their peers they are going to have some problems feeling that they fit in and that they are accepted thus leading to depression. Many doctors are still ignorant as far as diagnosing any mental health problems in children and treatment is desperately needed now before it progresses and she feels that desperate she starts self harming or heaven forbid anything worse. Keep trying to get her help and i hope that you succeed kiddies need our help.

Answer 7

yes, children can suffer from depression and yes it can be hereditory - my mother suffered from depression for years and my younger sister suffers from it so it doesn't affect every child.. Sorry to hear you've had such a negative response from doctor's you have spoken to - must be heartbreaking watching your child suffering without being shrugged off as well - a good doctor knows that a mother is the best expert in the world when it comes to her child's well being - both physically and mentally as we know our child better than anyone and sense when something is wrong with them ! go back to your doctor and insist on a referral to a specialist so that a psychiatric evaluation can be done on your daughter.. all the best :-)

Answer 8

An 8-365 days-previous can *actually* be afflicted by melancholy. I had substantial melancholy beginning around 10, even nonetheless it geared up up for a pair years. My mothers and fathers took me to a doctor, yet this became into in the previous melancholy became into so nicely understood. with out going into my life tale, i visit tell you that via 11 i became into putting myself in circumstances that led to very severe problems. If i might had a real intervention while i became into 10 and requested for help, it ought to've been prevented. do no longer believe your loved ones-prepare physician. Get your son to a real toddler therapist. chatting with a professional won't have the ability to harm. if your son is basically dealing with a level, you have lost no longer something different than possibly a sprint money. if your son is rather depressed or afflicted approximately some thing, the advantages to him must be immeasurable. Getting a professional opinion does no longer propose you may desire to submit to any style of dramatic medical care. as quickly as puberty starts, any severe lingering subject concerns will start to teach into self-unfavorable habit and, presently thereafter, long-term psychological wellbeing problems. If there relatively is a concern, you ought to in straightforward terms have a pair of years to locate it and make some progression. i understand this sounds dire & overdramatic, yet I lived by it, and nevertheless have outcomes. there is not any reason to take a brilliant gamble.

Answer 9

Children can definitely get depression, even those younger than 8. Depression does have a genetic element to it, so if both you and your father had it, it's very possible that your daughter inherited it.

If the doctors you spoke with brushed you off, you need to keep looking for one who will listen. And if you've only spoken with "regular" doctors, I strongly suggest you find a licensed child psychologist.

Answer 10

Well yes - and I would strongly recommend to go for a manual one-time treatment called Atlasprofilax. The effect on the self-healing power of the body and mind are simply amazing - own experience. :-)

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After that, any other treatments will mork much more efficiently, as well.

Answer 11

yes of course they can. I was bullied as a child and suffered from depression. I do not think it is genetic, possibly a side effect of the other problems, or maybe something's wrong at school. talk to her. and get a new doctor who will take your concerns seriously.