Book Description

Depression is often underidentified in children.As a result, many go undiagnosed and suffer needlessly.The Childhood Depression Sourcebook provides insight into why children get depressed, how to identify symptoms, and where to find appropriate treatment.Dr. Miller distinguishes how childhood depression differs from adult depression and how depression manifests during different developmental stages: early childhood, late childhood, and adolescence.This unique book also emphasizes working with schools on both the academic and social level to help children adjust.

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Information and and easy style to understand!
Mr. Miller has a teriffic sense for being honest and getting right to the medical point.I appreciate his way of breaking-down the information into subchapters that is easily understood.A great tool in observing thedepressive behaviors in children. ... Read more

Book Description
The pioneering work of Drs. Cytryn and McKnew has resulted in the widespread recognition that childhood depression is an all too common psychological reaction to environmental stress and genetic heritage. Here they explain the current understanding of this devastating disorder and offer guidance for parents, teachers, and counselors on distinguishing depression from ordinary sadness and seeking appropriate treatment. They cover recent advances influencing treatment of the depressed child, including the availability of new antidepressants and the awareness that childhood depression is more serious than previously believed and may be a forerunner of later major depression or bipolar disorder. Prevention and early treatment are emphasized. While giving specific advice on recognizing and handling the depressed or suicidal child, the authors show how mood disorders reduce the quality of life at any age and how to relieve the hardships felt by these children and their families. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

One of the most insightful books I've read on the subject.
This book talks about some things that I thought only I knew. It's the most insightful book I've read on the subject. The author is highly skilled in revealing what is felt by the depressed child. That is important because it helps you decide whether the child is depressed or not. Some depressed young children consider suicide. They work out ways of killing themselves. They sometimes leave suicide notes. The book give examples of a well child and one who isn't. It is amazing that doctors not so long ago thought children couldn't get depressed. At the least, depressed children have problems interacting with other children.

A "Must-Read" for caregivers of depressed young people.
This book is an excellent point of reference and guide for anyone trying to understand childhood depression, its causes, and available treatment options. I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Book Description
At any given time one out of ten children will display the signs and symptoms of a childhood emotional disorder. Unfortunately, only a few of these children receive the treatment they need to get better. Helping Sensitive and Difficult Children provides the answers to questions that commonly arise about children's mental health issues. Equipped with this easy to use self-help and reference guide, you will:

Book Description

Product Description
The Magic Seashells-Healing Depression and Childhood Abuse is my story of recovery when I was collecting seashells on the beach and memories of being sexually abused before I was five years old began to surface. I tell the steps I took to heal those memories and my emotional, phsyical, spiritual and mental pain. It is an inspirational and encouraging story and has been helpful to all who have read it. One lady said she had been in therapy for 20 years trying to forgive her mother and forgave her as she read the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Magic Seashells
I thought this book would be difficult to read because its topic is child abuse, but I could not put it down. The real topic of the book is healing. The author wrote the book to share with others how she struggled with depression caused by almost unbelievable physical, emotional and sexual abuse and how she succeeded in finding self esteem and love. She talks of her attempts to deal with depression through whatever resources were available to her: Bible reading, anti-depression drugs, treatment by psychotherapists of varying skill and professionalism, Al Anon, primal therapy, prayer, nature, music and teaching. She persevered in her quest for competent people who could help her, and she worked very hard on her healing. She is proof that a person can heal and she has written this book to show others the way.She offers many helpful sayings, such as "the greater the darkness, the greater the light" and "when the student is ready, the teacher is provided," and concludes with lists of healing suggestions, helpful truths, musical selections and readings. The book is a gift of love from this remarkable woman.

A must read for anyone suffering from abuse
This book is a must for anyone, male or female, who may have been the victim of either sexual or mental abuse during their lifetime.The author writes from her heart about the tortures endured during her early childhood which had caused deep depression in her later years.She had been unable to find sufficient help to help her recognize and identify the roots of her problems, but was finally successful in this venture.She unveils the means by which one can learn to cope, forgive, and move on in life.What a wonderul story.Some portions of the story are hard to understand due to the nature of the subject, but this kind of thing happens more often than the average person would believe.Those who have suffered will certainly, I'm sure, gain from the wonderful insights offered in this book.I am a past Police investigator and have had numerous cases involving such tragedies as are spelled out here.I wish everyone who has ever suffered this type treatment could have this book to read.If this book helps only one victim to regain their mental stability, it will be all worth the time and expense born by the author.I congradulate her on her worthy efforts to help the many victims of this horrible crime.

Honest and Hopeful
I read The Magic Seashells when a friend gifted the book to me. I found it to be startling but gentle, candid but not horrific and, above all else, written from a place of peace and true healing. The author tells her true story of the abuse she encountered with appropriate details that do not overwhelm the reader with gore or tragedy. In fact, she leaves space for the reader, like me, to empathize, consider my own story and feel hopeful. If she ever felt like a victim, that persona is gone now and instead she expresses true reverence and compassion for herself and her perpetrators. She shares her own path to healing without asserting it to be the ONLY way. What is most clear is that there is/are ways out of PTSD, depression or whatever else we might be trapped in due to our own life story. The book left me feeling full and complete. ... Read more

Book Description
Until the early 1980s, there was no official diagnosis for depression in children. But children can, and do, become depressed. In fact, the National Institute of Mental Health now estimates that 2.5 million youngsters under eighteen have experienced clinical depression--and the real number may be higher still. "Help Me, I'm Sad" discusses how to tell if your child is at risk; how to spot symptoms; depression's link with other problems and its impact on the family; teen suicide; finding the right diagnosis, therapist, and treatment; and what you can do to help. For parents who have--or suspect they may have--depressed children, here is practical, easy-to-understand information from a compassionate and trustworthy source. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Informative
I found this book to be very informative and highly recommend it to anyone concerned with how "sad" or withdrawn their child is.

Gotta Start Somewhere
Although adult depression has been recognized for decades, childhood depression has only been considered since the 1980's. Previously, it was simply thought that children couldn't be depressed. Perhaps this is because (as is learned from this book) the lethargy and weepiness that adults and adolescents experience during depression, in children is often expressed as hostility. The depressed children may in fact be the troublemakers and the discipline problems.

This book reports on few case histories, but because only twenty years of research are behind this subject, that isn't surprising. Most of the descriptive text looks at the stages of childhood depression, and what to expect from various treatment options. The authors do suggest that while several stressful situations such as parental divorce, or placement in foster care can lead to childhood depression, in most cases, there will be no single, obvious, precipitating factor, and parents should not look for one.

More than once, the authors state that depression is not the fault of the parents, or the result of bad parenting. Of course, what are they going to say, if they want parents to buy their book? Parents don't want to be blamed. At any rate, if they are voluntarily looking for help, the family is probably at a point where placing blame will not solve anything, so the authors are undoubtedly correct in this approach. The problem is that this approach appears to slant the book toward physiological causes of depression almost to the exclusion of environmental factors.

Nonetheless, the information presented is readable, clear, and written in a soothing narrative voice. Just reading the book may give relief to parents who are concerned about a child.

The book neatly describes external symptoms of childhood depression, offering a great deal of help to parents and people who work with children in identifying children who may be depressed. Much of the book is given over to choosing a therapist. This is so thoroughly commendable, I don't know where to begin, because it is not uncommon for people to walk into a therapist's office, and immediately turn over all their power. This book will help families hold onto themselves until they are certain they have the right person, not just for the child but for the whole family.

I would recommend this book over most of the others addressing this topic.

A valuable resource for families of depressed children
This is a very valuable book for families of depressed children, and I highly recommend it. It contains essential information, thoroughly and clearly covered. One section I particularly liked discussed the effect a depressed child has on family members and family dynamics.

"Help Me, I'm Sad" first addresses diagnosing depression in a child, including what I had never seen before: symptom lists specific to children at different stages of childhood, infants to teenagers. Companion illnesses that might indicate depression are also discussed as part of the diagnosis section.

The treatment section covers how to find effective treatment, whether therapy, medication or both, including questions to ask a potential therapist. The last section, on preventing depression, contains suggestions on how to raise an emotionally resilient child. All in all, a complete, compassionate resource for parents and others who have a depressed child in their lives.

Most Comprehensive Book for Parents with Depressed Teens
Dr. Fassler and Miss Dumas do an amazing job at organizing this book in the most efficient manner. The doctor with utmost clarity lists the symptoms of depression for each age group up to and including youngadulthood. He does justice to new research revealing that symptoms may bedependant upon the patient's age. Moreover, he highlights the long-avoidedfact that even toddlers can suffer from clinical depression. He alsobriefly examines the various related affective disorders common among youngpeople and how they can be detected also. The chapter on suicide andsuicide recognition and prevention is well-written in that it provides allthe vital information without going into graphic details. In addition todiscussing all forms of treatment types, schools of thought, and classes ofmental healthcare professionals in an easily understandable manner, thedoctor offers pragmatic advice on seeking help for the child and thechild's family. All too often the devastating effects of depression onother family members are ignored with tragic consequences. Dr. Fasslermakes sure that this point is stressed. He also helps the reader choose agood therapist and treatment plan for his/her child. Finally, he discussesways in which depression can be prevented, and how good parenting canaffect the child's chance of growing up to become a healthy adult. The onlything I found disappointing was Dr. Fassler's bias towards thephysiological nature of affective disorders. Understanding the biochemicalaspects of depression is crucial in effectively treating the illness formuch of the symptoms are linked to somatic disorders in the brain.

A reassuring and thorough guide for parents and pros.
If you're the parent of a depressed child -- or think you might be -- this is a must-read. It's a reassuring, gentle but completely informative guide to all aspects of childhood depression. The part I liked best? How to get help for your child. It includes the best discussion of medications and other treatments I've ever read. This book makes an extremely sensitive, scary and complex subject easy to understand. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from School Administrator, published by Thomson Gale on February 1, 2006. The length of the article is 940 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dear Tom Cruise: meet my daughter.(a case of childhood depression)(Column)
Author: Morton Sherman
Publication: School Administrator (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 63Issue: 2Page: 53(1)

Article Type: Column

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
The extent of severe childhood abuse is little known. Drawing on twenty years of systematic research and interviews, Wednesday's Child examines the reasons why as much as 25% of women have been victims of child abuse, and how this abuse reverberates into their adult lives, doubling their chances of clinical depression.

The words of many ordinary women are documented here, vividly demonstrating how as survivors of child abuse, their adult relationships and self-esteem have suffered. The authors, who discuss abuse in terms of marital breakdown, poverty and parental psychiatric disorder also show us what we can learn from the experiences of these survivors, assessing factors which will reduce the later impact of childhood abuse on both the children of today and the parents of tomorrow. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

essential book on the subject - with powerful new research
This is an impressively researched and presented book - the style makes it suitable for both the interested general reader or the professional;if you are working in the field, it would be a new core text.If you suffer from depression - illuminating. ... Read more

Book Description
After the suicide death of her teenage son Ben, author and lecturer Trudy Carlson sheds light into the little-understood symptoms of depressive illness and anxiety disorders in youngsters.Using her son's dual condition as example, she takes a reasonable, no-fault approach to explain the biological nature of these conditions, and maps out a low-cost, effective school based program for recognizing and treating school-aged youth.The correlation between depressive illness and teen suicide is examined.A fresh approach and practical guide for parents and teachers everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A revision of title may be in order
The first half of this book dealt with the story itself including the suicide and the life of the author's son `Ben'. The second half covered the different mood disorders that afflicted Ben and methods of treatment.

There is one basic reason I gave this book four of five stars. This book did not talk about childhood depression. In brief areas throughout the text the author hinted to depression and a manic depressive (bi-polar) illness. However the majority of the text and history provided of Ben's life was about his ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disorders. The author ranted for many chapters about how she tried to help him with his studies and how school was a problem for him and how she wanted Ben to do better in school, but he was not getting the assistance he needed. Long story short, she focused the primary emphasis of her text on his learning disabilities and not on his chronic depression or manic-depressive disorders, which in the end were the causes of his suicide. Based on these facts I would rate this book lower, however it did do a much better job in the second half of the book with thorough descriptions of the various mental disorders for diagnosis purposes and treatment methods as well as a section for suicide awareness and avoidance.

If you want a book which describes the trials and tribulations of a child with various mental health issues, buy this book.

If you want a book about suicide prevention, or a book with an in-depth look at adolescent depression or manic depressive (bi-polar) mood disorders than look else where because this book falls short in these areas.

There's more to Bipolar Disorder than Suicide
This is a touching story, but suicide isn't the only aspect of Childhood-Onset Bipolar Disorder. This gives some good information, but isn't that well written.There's a new book that has a lot of practical information in a very usable format that addresses the daily challenges of Bipolar Disorder, not just the suicidal tendencies, much better.It's called "If Your Child is Bipolar."

Okay reading for suicide survivors
The book is good, but Carlson kept losing me when the story of her son turns into a textbook for teachers.It does, however, have some strong points for anyone who has ever lost someone to suicide.A "Good"Book.....

Could your life ever be the same?
If you've ever experienced the loss of a loved one by suicide, you probably have wondered. Carlson's book is helpful in so many ways, but especially in helping life get back on track. Having lost her son to suicide, Trudy Carlson picks up the pieces of her family life and movesahead in the best way she can, and becomes an inspiration to others alongthe way. Though every family is unique and each story different, the deathof a child is perhaps one situation with common threads: grief, pain,guilt, hopelessness. Carlson shows us how to deal with these, suggestsoptions that could help (and which the reader may not have been prepared toconsider) and shows by example that while life after a suicide is not thesame, the difference it brings about is not necessarily bad. I've read thisbook a few times and now have given copies to friends. It amazes me thatyou can mention "suicide" in a group of people, and suddenlyeveryone has a story about it. I found this book comforting, uplifting, andhelpful. You know Ben Carlson. You know Trudy Carlson. They are us.

If you're only going to read one book.....
As the mother of a teen suicide myself, I highly recommend this book.For those of you who are grieving from the same tragedy, it will answer many of your "Why" questions.And for those who have loved ones suffering from depression or bipolar disorder, you will learn how you mayprevent their suicide.All depressed and bipolar people are at high riskfor suicide.Trudy eloquently describes how triggers may prompt a suicidebut mental illness causes it.She also describes quite accurately many ofthe confusing behaviors these individuals display: anger fromlimit-setting, logical leaps that are hard to follow, and a jovial attitudewhen experiencing deep pain.She did a marvelous job in her discussion ofthe relationship between loss and depression.This book also includes adetailed section on medications that I've seen in no other book like it.Amust read! ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on May 21, 2003. The length of the article is 761 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Childhood depression is treatable.(Columns)(Column)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: May 21, 2003
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: A17

Article Type: Column

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Siempre!, published by Edicional Siempre on October 8, 1998. The length of the article is 851 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Infancia, depresión y hormonas. (incluye artículos sobre avances científicos)(TT: Childhood, depression and hormones) (TA: includes articles about scientific advances)
Author: René Anaya
Publication: Siempre! (Refereed)
Date: October 8, 1998
Publisher: Edicional Siempre
Volume: v45Issue: n2364Page: p72(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Countryside & Small Stock Journal, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1330 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Urban childhood during the Depression.(Looking back)
Author: Ronald Pesha
Publication: Countryside & Small Stock Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 90Issue: 4Page: 108(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more