Little Boy BluerMay 13 '03 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line If left unchecked, childhood depression can become quite serious in adolescence.
Little Boy Blue was an editorial that I submitted nearly three years ago to the day regarding my then thirteen year old son's early warning signs of childhood depression. After celebrating his 16th birthday earlier today, I took a slow jog down memory lane and decided to read some of my very early Epinions.com postings. I ran across Little Boy Blue and was immediately struck by the events that have transpired with Matthew in these past three years!! What was written on May 11, 2000 was clearly more than just a nervous mother's concerns and emotional fears dealing with a pre-adolescent boy. It turns out that this mom's feelings regarding her son's moods were chillingly accurate in predicting his current depression. In a sense, this is an update to the earlier version with a few additional suggestions to any parent who may have some concerns for their child, as I did then, and still do now. Matthew had a great deal of difficulty adjusting to the major move that my family and I made from the big city in September 2000 to the beautiful Catskill Mountains. As an adult, I realize now how the move affected me and every area of my life. My son had even greater challenges than I. "Starting over" for a thirteen year old who was all ready feeling lost and confused was the toughest challenge for Matt. His new Middle School was a half hour away from home by a school bus that picked him up at six o'clock in the morning! My child had no idea about waking up at five o'clock in the morning to meet a school bus "down the road a piece" (equivalent to four city blocks). He felt like an alien from a different planet each morning that he boarded the bus. As he explained it, "The kids don't like me. They pick on my haircut, my clothing and the way I talk." Matt's school work suffered greatly that first year in Sullivan County's school district. Friendships continued to elude him. He felt like he just didn't fit in anywhere. My poor sad boy. I tried to get him involved in sports activities. Then we attempted to involve him in musical clubs. He balked at every suggestion and his attitudes became angrier and moodier by the day. Matthew used to enjoy team activities and had a passion for music. His interests were no longer important to him. He made it out of the Middle School without any pomp or circumstance! It turns out that as children move from Middle School to High School they don't actually "graduate". They just.... well... move! This was another disappointment that my young man had to endure. By the time the end of his first year in high school passed, Matt was exhibiting many signs and symptoms of major depression that greatly concerned his teachers and guidance counselors. He was isolating, non-participatory, emotionally gloomy and his outlook on academics was self-defeating. Matt began to argue with me for no apparent reason and his favorite phrase was, "Nobody understands what I am going through!" When Matthew was younger, he had constant digestive problems. This continues even until today. He has missed a great deal of school yet he seems well enough to want to go on the Internet or watch television all day, if I allowed him to. Avoidance became a "coping mechanism" for Matt. This could not continue and as his mother, I knew that he was in trouble. We sought out a psychiatrist in the Emergency Room, after Matt came home from "drinking at a schoolmate's home". By this time, several months ago, Matthew's family doctor had prescribed a mild low dosage anti-depressant. The combination of alcohol and his medication warranted an ambulance ride to the hospital. This was a huge step for Matt in finally admitting that he had a problem, an illness with help on the way. Today, as my family helped Matthew to celebrate his sixteenth birthday, we praised him for his achievements and encouraged him to continue with his determination to improve his outlook on his life and future. Today, Matt is trying to get back on track by taking many of the suggestions given to him by his therapist and teachers. He actually does keep a journal! He is able to write down his feelings of inadequacy with girls (not too unusual for many teens going through this awkward stage). He also journals when he has good days like when he has mastered a new Jimi Hendrix song on his electric guitar. Now Matthew jogs and walks along the mountainous trails with our puppy. He works out daily and exercises to relieve some of his stress. What I am especially happy about is my son's willingness to continue with therapy and to deal with the issues of not fitting in, the family move, my own depression and its affect on him and other things important to his life. Depression is no joke. When youngsters have deep feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities that they once loved, moodiness and sudden behavioral changes, it may be early warning signs that the child is depressed. Take these warning signs seriously and take immediate actions to help your child. Although May is proclaimed as Mental Health Month, every day of every week of every month should hold awareness and vigilance for our children's mental health and well-being.  |
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