ADHD,
Depression and Your Child
For
reasons not completely understood, a child with ADHD is at
greater risk for being diagnosed with depression. Perhaps
due to brain chemistry imbalances, difficult life experiences,
and low self esteem, depression tends to plague children and
teenagers who are struggling to cope with the symptoms of
ADHD. While there are many challenges ahead for the child
with ADHD, depression adds a frightening twist to the situation.
Children and teens with depression are at higher risk for
drug use, school dropout, and even suicide.
There is
hope for ADHD and depression in children, especially if parents
are aware of the ADHD-depression link and look for signs of
depression in their child. The sooner depression is recognized,
the sooner it can be treated and the less chance that depression
will get a hold of the child’s outlook on life.
How does
a parent recognize ADHD depression? Depression carries a specific
set of symptoms that can be identified if you are looking
for them. Here are some depression signs that should be a
warning sign for parents to seek help for their child’s
depression:
- Loss of interest in
normal activities
- Feeling hopeless, sad,
down, empty, and/or pessimistic
- Difficulty sleeping
or sleeping too much
- Difficulty making decisions
- Unexplained weight loss
or weight gain
- Irritability, being
easily annoyed
- Feelings of worthlessness,
fatigue, low energy, or weakness
- Persistent aches, pains,
headaches, and digestive problems with no apparent cause
The symptoms
of ADHD depression may vary from child to child, as each person
experiences depression and ADHD in different ways. You may
find that your child’s ADHD and depression are obvious,
while other parents are barely able to see depression symptoms
in their child at all. The main concern is that children with
ADHD may have a 3 times greater risk for depression than children
without ADHD. Another concern for parents is that treating
a child’s ADHD will not necessarily alleviate a child’s
or teen’s depression. It is typical for ADHD and depression
to require separate and concurrent treatments.
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