Page 131 - 17-44 Feb 24 2021
P. 131
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Does Childhood
Depression
Exist?
By Rifka Schonfeld, Director of S.O.S.
(Strategies For Optimum Success)
There is a girl who sits in the corner. friend, loses a prized possession, or
Her heart is crying out. ŝƐ ƐĐŽůĚĞĚ͕ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ ŐĞŶĞƌĂůůLJ ďŽƵŶĐĞ
There are people all around her, ďĂĐŬ ƚŽ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŶĂƚƵƌĂů ũŽLJ ƋƵŝĐŬůLJ͘ tŚĞŶ
But no one seems to hear her shout. a child is depressed, however, they
experience a deeper, more persistent
Her life was once happy, ƐĂĚŶĞƐƐ͘ 'ĞŶĞƌĂůůLJ͕ Ă ĐŚŝůĚ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ĐŽŶ-
Full of love and care. sidered depressed when he or she is
She was always laughing. ƐĂĚ Žƌ ĞdžŚŝďŝƚƐ ŽƚŚĞƌ ƐŝŐŶƐ ŽĨ ĚĞƉƌĞƐ-
There was always someone there, sion for at least two weeks.
ŚŝůĚŚŽŽĚ ĞƉƌĞƐƐŝŽŶ ŝƐ Ă ƌĞůĂƟǀĞůLJ
But now her life seems empty. ŶĞǁ ƚĞƌŵ͘ hŶƟů ĨĂŝƌůLJ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJ͕ ĚĞƉƌĞƐ-
What’s missing, she doesn’t know. sion was considered an adult condi-
She wears a mask every day. ƟŽŶ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĞĂƌůŝĞƐƚ ĂŐĞ ŽĨ ŽŶƐĞƚ ďĞ-
Her true feelings she doesn’t show. ing twenty one. This is in stark contrast
to what we know today. Depression is
Her once colorful and cheerful life extremely common amongst teenag-
Has turned so dull and grey. ĞƌƐ͖ ǁŝƚŚ ƉƐLJĐŚŝĂƚƌŝƐƚƐ ďĞůŝĞǀŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ
She once enjoyed her group of friends; as many as twenty percent of adoles-
Now she just wishes them away… cents experiencing some depression.
The incidence among younger children
-Kaylee Everhaert ŝƐ ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚůLJ ůŽǁĞƌ͘ zŽƵŶŐ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ
ĂƌĞ͕ ŚŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ƐƵƐĐĞƉƟďůĞ ƚŽ ŝƚƐ ƐŝƐƚĞƌ
Sadness seems incongruent in child- ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶ͕ ĂŶdžŝĞƚLJ͘ ĞƉƌĞƐƐŝŽŶ ŝƐ ŽŌĞŶ
ŚŽŽĚ͘ ŚŝůĚŚŽŽĚ ŝƐ Ă ƟŵĞ ĂůŵŽƐƚ ĚĞ- ĂĐĐŽŵƉĂŶŝĞĚ Žƌ ƉƌĞĐĞĚĞĚ ďLJ ĂŶdžŝĞƚLJ͘
ĮŶĞĚ ďLJ ũŽLJ͘ ŶĚ ǁŚŝůĞ ŝƚ ŝƐ ŶŽƌŵĂů ŶĚ ŵĂŶLJ ĞdžƉĞƌƚƐ ďĞůŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĂƚ Ă ĐŚŝůĚ
ĨŽƌ Ă ĐŚŝůĚ ƚŽ ďĞ ƐĂĚ ǁŚĞŶ ƐŚĞ ŐĞƚƐ Ă ǁŚŽ ƐƵīĞƌƐ ĨƌŽŵ ĂŶdžŝĞƚLJ ŝƐ ŵŽƌĞ ůŝŬĞůLJ
ďĂĚ ŵĂƌŬ ŽŶ Ă ƚĞƐƚ͕ ŚĂƐ Ă ĮŐŚƚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă
Mrs. Rifka Schonfeld has developed a special 6-Week
program to teach your child strategies on how to manage
anger with parents, siblings and friends.
A CALMER CHILD.
A CALMER HOME.
IN JUST 6 WEEKS!
CALL NOW FOR MORE DETAILS.
LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE.
February 24 '21 The Bulletin 718.387.0123 • www.willbulletin.com Y-42
