16 Warning Signs You Need to Know for your Kids

Sometimes we have an idea of what depression and anxiety look like, especially if we've gone through them ourselves. However, when it comes to our children or teens, the signs may be different. It's important to recognize that both children and teens may experience anxiety and depression, and it often times will look a little different than it does in adults. 

Children and teens with depression or anxiety may display these symptoms:

• Difficulty sleeping resulting in struggles to remain awake in class

• Difficulties staying focused and concentrating on tasks

• Change in grades not consistent with past performance

• Getting into trouble at school – provoking conflict

• Refusing to attend school or staying entire day

• Frequent tardiness to the start of the school day or individual classes

• Change in eating habits

• Feeling angry, hopeless, or irritable

• Lack of motivation to complete tasks, hopelessness, or negative thinking patterns

• Feeling worthless or restless

• Frequent sadness or crying

• Withdrawing from friends and activities they previously engaged in and enjoyed

• Loss of energy

• Low self-esteem or self-worth

• Thoughts and statements of death, suicide, or self-harming behaviors

• Risk taking behaviors: substance use, self-harm, change in friends​​

Do you know a teen struggling to find hope, purpose, and motivation? Is anxiety or depression overwhelming them? 
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If you, or anyone you know, recognizes someone experiencing the symptoms above, additional services and support may benefit them. Coming from someone they trust, such as their teacher, counselor, or physician, it would be helpful to suggest therapy services at this critical time. People often make the excuse of “oh, it’s not that bad”….yet. Now is the time to be proactive in working through their negative thinking patterns, overwhelming emotions, anxiety producing situations, lack of motivation, and finding hope, purpose, and enjoyment in the future. 

Allison Kidd at Resolve Counseling and Wellness specializes in working with teens experiencing anxiety and depression. Through individual therapy, she provides guidance in empowering them to understand and reframe their negative thoughts and perceptions. Allison is passionate about helping others to thrive, find joy in their life, and identify future goals to work towards. To contact Allison or book an appointment, click here.

Allison Kidd, LMSW, LAC
allison.resolve@gmail.com
(913) 735.4056 (cell- text)
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