Sadness vs. Depression in Children

It can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between sadness and depression, and that is especially true in children. It is common and normal for your child to have mood swings and experience highs and lows. However, if something doesn’t seem right, when should you be concerned? Here are some common symptoms of what depression can look like in children:

• Sadness/bad mood that are present more often than not.
  
• Lack of energy that affects their daily tasks like going to school and playing with friends. 
  
• Changes in sleeping and eating patterns.
  
• Academic and social difficulties at school.
  
• Unexplained headaches or stomach aches.
  

If more than one of these symptoms looks familiar to you as a parent or guardian, it may be beneficial to seek help for your child in order to help them feel more like themselves again. While sadness comes and goes on its own, depression can linger and become worse if left untreated for too long. There are lots of resources available to help and Gulf Wind Counseling is one of them. We have offices in both Tallahassee and Apalachicola. Feel free to contact us at 850-597-7833 to schedule an appointment for your loved one today.