kids and depression

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
kids and depression
4
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 9:56pm

I've been noticing some behaviors in Tom that make me wonder if he is feeling depressed. His preschool teacher has been very good about sharing things that happen there too and the more I compile a list, the more I am concerned about depression. I wouldn't be surprised since DH and I both suffer from it. Poor kid.

At first I thought it might be because he wasn't sleeping so well, and then I wondered if it might be diet related and I think those things probably contribute to what I'm seeing but I don't think that is it.

Does anyone have any experience with preschool depression? What might our options be? How do they diagnose depression in little guys? Do they do anti-depressants for kids this young? How do kids react to them.

I am very reluctant to start meds at this young age, but I don't want him to be miserable either.

Thanks,

Heather

                                

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-28-2007
Wed, 05-30-2007 - 10:50pm

Hey Heather,

What symprtoms are you seeing in Tom? I ask as Liam despite being ASD also has mood disorder-nos and is at risk for depression and anxiety. Is it possible your ds is dealing with some anxiety due to his ASD (ie: hard for him to connect with others etc). I know Liam gets very low when he feels no one likes him, wants to be his friend etc (if I had my way the child would never have to go out on a school playground)!!

As for meds....my ds is on meds, but I was wondering if you could find a play therapist first, (someone who specializes or at least is familaar with ASD). A good play therapist may be enough to give him an expesssive outlet. We went that road with Liam before medication and I'm glad we did as she was the first therapist/specialist to agreee with PDD for Liam. And Liam did learn some great coping strategies. He was 4 at the time. In fact I am looking for a play therapist again to help him with some new emotions he is grappling with; mainly afraid no one will ever be his friend etc

hth

Dee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2003
Thu, 05-31-2007 - 12:16am

Just to kind of echo what Dee said, we're going through this with our youngest right now (she's 6).

We didn't even consider medicating her until we started seeing what I *thought* was depression symptoms. Mentally, it was very difficult for me as I experienced horrible symptoms when I weaned myself off of an anti-depressant I'd been on for about 5 years. (Trust me when I say that the decision to put her on medication was nothing short of painful for me and my DH.) However, when we did take the plunge, the meds were great for a few months. She was a completely different child. Unfortunately for us, it appears that the depression symptoms were masking a more significant problem, and now we're testing for seizure disorder and bipolar. We had to wean her off of the Zoloft in a faster than preferred time period because she was not doing well at all. It hasn't been pretty, but she hadn't been on the medicine that long, so it should be a faster "come down" than what I dealt with.

I guess my point in telling you this is to encourage you to delve as deep as possible before accepting a Dx of depression for your child. Allowing them to be Dx'd with depression and medicated, when in fact, there's something even more significant going on, can be awful.

Wow,I just realized that I'm rambling. That's what I get for posting when I'm overly tired. Anyway, my apologies.

GL and HTH

Amy

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2006
Thu, 05-31-2007 - 2:07am

Well, I have two experiences with kids being depressed...

My first child, my dd, who is now 20 and doing great was dx'd with Borderline Personality Disorder at the age of 5. Since she was dx-d 15 yrs ago, I have to wonder if she was mis-dx-d at the time. Many people have looked at me in shock that they would dx someone at the age of 5 with that disorder.....

BUT they explained that depressed kids would be angry, hyper, and out of control. And believe me, she was 3 fold.

They didn't put her on a med (Tofinal, Impramine) until a yr after her dx. And then it didn't work. It was really the play therapy that we did once a week, for 3 yrs that saved us.

Now I have two boys who show signs of being on the spectrum and having tourettes. They have rages (like she did). The only difference was she didn't attack me, but my boys do, and thats what made me consider a drug. She also didn't rage in school, but was extremely hyper.....

My oldest son is on Risperadal, and my youngest I am considering). I know I don't want them to get arrested when there 17 because of these rages. There horrible.

My oldest Son is calm most of the time before he raged..... but he would say things like "My life is miserable, no matter what I do (whether going to school or staying home from school) he would say "My life is miserable."

He would also perservate over his teacher saying he was lazy during christmas vacation.... It was heart breaking and I saw it as depression....

Either way, pay attention! Don't put it aside. Your child may need your help, and if meds will help then so be it. I am not a big med person, but I would never deny my child of something that could help them.

I also take lexapro and sometimes Xanax because of depression and panic attacks. It could very well run in the family...

Good luck :)

Lainie

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 05-31-2007 - 8:43am

I'm seeing some aggression issues which he never had before. He's hitting and yelling in our faces. Then he'll break down into tears. He doesn't want to go to school which he has always loved before. He's causing some trouble there with his hitting and raging too. He's touchier than normal. Things that he used to be able to handle are causing meltdowns.

And he seems kind of listless. Not all the time. Yesterday afternoon he was running and playing and being generally sweet. But other times all he wants is to sit on my lap and do his skin rubbing thing (he likes to rub his hands on bare arms, a big comfort thing for him). He lays around. His play is more aggressive.

To me those things point to some kind of emotional thing going on. We have our 5 year old doctor appointment coming up and I'm definitely getting a referral for a pysch eval.

Thanks for your comments, I never even considered that play therapy might be the way to go. I will check it out for sure.

Heather