Where Do You Turn When Depression Hurts Your Child - Why Not Try Herbs for Depression

As a professional Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I have dealt with countless adults and children suffering from depression and I seen first hand the devastating impact depression can have on those suffering from depression and their loved ones. Depression hurts not only the person suffering from it, but can cause great pain and anguish on the whole family as well, affecting the quality all aspects of the depressed person relationships. Adults are not the only one depression hurts. Nowadays, even preschool aged children are being medicated with dangerous antidepressant drugs, and at frightening rates.

More people than ever before seem to be feeling depressed. According to recent statistics, depression disorders affect nearly 19 million American adults, or a staggering 9.5% of the U.S. population age 18 and over. These figures include depression types as major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder. So if you are suffering from depression, you are not alone - everyone will be feeling depressed as some time another. And everyone will be affected by depression in some form - either their own or someone they love.

What saddens me is the alarming rate children are being diagnosed with depression and being placed on antidepressant medications. Pre-schoolers feeling depressed are in fact the fastest growing market for antidepressants. At least 4% of preschoolers -- that over a million -- will be diagnosed as clinically depressed this year. According to estimates, depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020. It sad when you realize a depressed young child today will be one of those statistics tomorrow.

Today it seems the standard course of treatment to put children on powerful antidepressants, potent synthetic drugs that were never designed with children sensitive and still developing nervous systems in mind when they were developed decades ago. Recent news reports have revealed dangerous and risky side-effects children suffer when put on these medications, including cases of abnormal bleeding, increased violent behavior, increased risk of suicidality in teens, pulmonary hypertension, heart murmurs, agitation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and even anorexia in some patients.

The insanity of medicating children when depression hurts becomes only more apparent when recent governmental warnings highlighted concerns that antidepressants in children when feeling depressed simply don work. This is why all antidepressants, other than Prozac, have been banned in Britain after a study conducted by the British Medical Journal reported they found no scientific evidence whatsoever that antidepressants work for preschoolers, or anyone else under age 18 for that matter.

Why put our children at risk from these powerful, unpredictable drugs when they are not shown to be effective in young children or teens? There are a number of ways you can begin to address your child depression without the use of medication. Here a quick look at some of them:

• Meditation, prayer and relaxation exercises such as yoga. This may sound funny, but there are actually many of these relaxation therapies designed specifically for children these days.
• Moderate and even gentle exercise such as a brief walk. When feeling depressed, encourage your child to join active sporting activities or just get them out side to play.
• A healthy, nutritious diet packed with naturally sourced vitamins and minerals. Many studies have indicated depression may be caused in part from inadequate nutrition.
• Make sure your child is getting enough sleep. When depressed, people either sleep too much or too little. Neither is good for depression. Both will leave your child feeling tired, lethargic, and less motivated.
• Psychotherapy with a qualified child therapist can also be helpful in helping your child to form positive relationships and improve self-esteem.

When depression hurts their child, many parents are turning to herbs and herbal remedies for depression. Having battled depression myself on and off over the years, I can say without hesitation herbs for depression work as I have been rescued from feeling depressed many times using herbs for depression. I personally really like the idea of using herbs for depression for children, as they have no side-effects and can help your child recover from any symptoms of depression they may be experiencing without the need for powerful, mood-altering drugs like Zoloft or Prozac.

Native Remedies is one company who I used and had great results with as they blend all their natural formulas under the supervision of professionally trained Herbalists and Homeopaths. When depression hurts your child, why not try an all natural, non-habit forming solution to your child depression, rather than risk their health with antidepressants that were never designed for a child body. I think your child will thank you for it.