It’s distressing to know that nowadays kids as young as seven, eight, nine, ten are saying that they are depressed. When I was ten I had problems of my own but I never knew that the word depressed existed. When my neighbors, playmates, classmates were bullying me, I would feel really sad and would just keep that sadness within me. Yes, I was unhappy but I didn’t know that there was a more severe form, depression. Only when I was already in college that I discovered oh hey, I am depressed!
In schools only the rich can afford, children of wealthy parents also talk about being depressed. One would think what would they be depressed about?
Single parent?
Constant quarreling of parents?
Separated parents?
Always left alone?
Lack of material possessions- gadgets?
Feeling unloved?
Peer pressure?
Bullying?
Abused? Verbal, emotional, psychological, physical, sexual?
We can list a hundred reasons why and as parents this is our challenge. How can we effectively explain and make them understand about life? This is a lifetime of wisdom learned thru experience. How do we give them the necessary strength to face the world? No kid or adult is immune to depression regardless of our status in life. But I think the social media, the availability of too many choices, the luxury of seeing every material stuff on the screen, the travel photos, the happy faces of families and people we see on our screens, contribute to the new generations’ constant need for attention and validation.
Kinakapatid, I interviewed a singing filipina nurse last night on our “Healthy Mondays with AAPINA of NV” radio show on PHLV Radio. We discussed about mental health from depression to more severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and paranoia. Yes, it is true about young kids expressing they have depression. In a way, it is showing we are now increasing awareness about depression. We mentioned about depression as a stigma among filipinos and most Asian descent. We don’t want anyone in our family to be known to have depression because it will taint the family image. Instead of trying to get help for our loved ones, we choose to hide it so it. We all need to bring awareness and get people the help they need before it’s too late. Thank you for bringing up this topic.
Hi Marife,
It was reported in the foreign news the other day that kids as young as two years old are already developing mental illness. Babies six months old are suffering from stress!!! What’s happening to our world?