What Kids Say

Here’s what kids on an episode of “Keeping Kids Healthy” had to say about their depression.

“Before I had depression, my life was just normal. I felt happy when I went to sleep. I felt happy when I woke up. There were no worries, no loneliness. That’s the best thing I remember. There was no loneliness. I started to feel different at about the age of 5 or 6. At the age of 13, I became extremely depressed. I felt cold all the time — literally and figuratively. There was a cloud constantly over me. There was no sunshine. There was no light at any time of the day. Waking up was useless because it was just another day of sadness … of nothingness.”
— Amanda, a teenager who suffers with depression, attempted suicide several times and engaged in self-mutilating behaviors.

“I was always sad. I carried it around with me. It would be a burden to me. I slept a lot. I would sleep as a way of avoidance. I was in a lot of activities up until high school. When I got to high school, I withdrew from everything. I didn’t want to have to deal with putting on an act for people. I isolated myself and cut myself off from other people.”
— Vanessa, a teen who suffers with depression.

Amanda and Vanessa were among the lucky ones who received help for their depression in order to get their lives back on track. Don’t let your child suffer in silence. Get expert professional help if you suspect that your child is depressed.