Is depression denial a thing?
Not admitting depression in your child is an easy trap to fall into. As a matter of fact, Depression is not like other health conditions. For example, type 1 diabetes that have little or no stigma around them, and people understand better. While it is understandable, though, not acknowledging your child or teen’s depression can be dangerous..
Not admitting depression
Let’s start from the beginning. Be depressed without knowing is often overlooked as a passing phase in teenagers. While Sadness may be part of the experience of clinical depression, they are not the same. Depression affects how you think, feel, and act, resulting in severe sadness and/or disinterest in normal activities. The symptoms should continue for at least two weeks or more.
Not admitting depression
So, even intense sadness for a short period doesn’t automatically mean the child will be diagnosed. And that is why parents you have paid attention to your kid. And if the concerning behaviors continue for two weeks or more, then consider the possibility of depression. In trying to identify early signs of depression, ask yourself:
- Have their eating habits changed? Gaining or losing weight?
- Have their sleeping habits changed? Sleeping too much or not enough?
- Are their moods strange or hard to predict? (Irritability/sadness, for example.)
- Are they talking about death or suicide?
Not admitting depression
Equally important Looking at these, you might realize how “normal” some of them are. People gain and lose weight all the time, right? And most anybody who has a child knows that they sometimes have temper problems. The key is that the signs and symptoms continue for some time. In spite of the child look happy on the outside.
Not Admitting depression
One of the scariest things about living with untreated depression without a doubt is suicide, but it is not the only thing. Depression makes it hard to just live. Taking care of yourself, maintaining hygiene and cleanliness, doing homework, eating right… all of this and more can be hard for someone who is struggling with mental illness.
Not Admitting depression
Surprisingly, not only can this psychological issue affect their social life. But also their physical health, too. In other words, untreated depression can have serious consequences. Denying your kid has depression might feel like the best thing to do, but being wrong about that can even strain your relationship. It’s an invalidation of their very real experiences, which can push them further into darkness and into dangerous behaviors and actions.
Not admitting depression
As I’ve said, be open to the possibility and get your kid the help they may need. There are conditions that can look like depression but are not, so getting a professional opinion or two is a responsible act of love. Be careful not to accidentally invalidate your kids’. Don’t dismiss their feelings or tell them to “snap out of it”, or to “just be happy”. And especially don’t call them selfish for their experiences.
Not admitting depression in your child
Finally, these can end up making them pull away from you and suffer in silence. We’ve been talking about parents or other caregivers denying depression, but another sad truth is that a child—especially a teen—may refuse help they need, too. Maybe they have internalized stigma around depression or mental health in general.
In this case, maybe they feel they are not worthy of help or don’t want to be a burden. Or they just don’t have the drive to make their own mental health a priority. If this happens, please don’t give up. Listen to them, show them empathy and patience. Don’t push, though; the last thing you want to do is push them further into their protective shell.
Make gentle suggestions as to how you could help or how they can help themself. You cannot and should not force them, but you can still show you care.In conclusion, If your child does have depression, it can be hard to deal with (for both you and your kid), but it is treatable. Give them the best chance to beat it.