If you are worried that your child or teen with ADHD may be battling symptoms of depression during this disruptive and frightening time, here’s what you need to know.
Feelings of worthlessness; hopelessnessSome of these symptoms, coupled with new behaviors and habits that have taken hold during the pandemic, may be inadvertently dismissed as an adolescent reaction to pandemic stress and disappointment.“With kids, sometimes depression manifests not as being mopey so much as being crabby,” Brown said. “Excessive irritability is a way that a lot of kids will cover and express their struggles.
With routines upended, it’s easy to conflate sleeping in or irregular sleep schedules with this symptom of depression. The key is noticing whether sleep patterns are being pushed to one extreme or the other. “Kids right now are sleeping if they don’t have to get up for a class and if classes are being recorded,” Zimmitti said. “Teens are on a whole different rhythm in terms of sleep – but sleeping late and being in their room a lot is really not in and of itself something to be worried about.
Inability to engage in “pre-pandemic” activities doesn’t directly translate to a loss in interest in those activities, but according to Dr. Wes Crenshaw, a psychologist based in Lawrence, Kansas, there’s a concerning trend toward “learned helplessness” – a condition characterized by a sense of powerlessness and hopelessness, and thought to lead to depression.
“The best thing we can do as parents,” she said, “is to stay calm.” Prioritize having a good relationship with your child and minimizing negative emotional interactions, even if that means more flexibility than you’re used to and avoiding hyper-vigilance.“Especially for someone with ADHD, even having two or three anchors in the day can make a significant difference in mobilizing and grounding somebody,” Olivardia said.
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