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Though the disorder of depression can occur in in kids, teens - and even babies, the symptoms don’t always look like adult depression. Take a look at the differences below so you can learn how to detect this serious, but treatable disorder.
Signs of Depression in Adults:
Depressed mood
Anhedonia (Decreased interest/enjoyment in once-favorite activities)
Negative thinking, helplessness
Significant weight loss or weight gain
Insomnia or Hypersomnia (Excessive sleeping)
Psychomotor agitation, restlessness or slowness
Fatigue or loss of energy
Low self-esteem, feelings of guilt
Sulks, appears foggy, distractible, poor school performance, forgetful, unmotivated
Recurrent suicidal thoughts or behavior
Inability to concentrate, indecisive
Signs of Depression in Children:
Blames self for failures, misperceives peer interactions, socially isolates, resists new experiences
Irritable, fussy or cranky
Boredom, lack of interest in play, giving up favorite activities
Failure to thrive, fussy eating, overeating and weight gain especially in adolescence
Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, difficulty emerging from sleep, hard to awaken, frequent napping.
Difficulty sitting still, pacing, very slow movements, clingy, little or no spontaneity, overly aggressive or sensitive
Persistently tired, appears lazy, sluggish, reports aches and pains, frequent absences from school
Whiny, cries easily, self-critical, feels stupid, unloved or misunderstood
Worries about death, talks about running away, writing or drawings about death, giving away favorite toys or belongings
Category(s):Depression
Source material from Dr Deb
