Child Depression - Fayetteville,NC

Two ideas: one, she is seven and a half -that means she is in school - suggest to the school that they have her seen by the school social worker or the school psychologist. The other is that since your husband is deployed, you should as a family be able to avail yourselves of mental health services at the closes military base. Either individual or family counseling might be in order. This does not necessarily mean that she will need to be on medication, but if her depression (or what you think is depression) were serious enough, you might want her on meds. I would also suggest perhaps speaking with her pediatrician's office -

Thank you and your husband for the sacrifices you are making for the rest of us. As a mental health professional, I would recommend getting some professional help. If you are on base, the military does offer good programs. If not, there is a wonderful program called Give An Hour in which mental health professionals offer their services free to military members and dependents. I would recommend someone who specializes in working with children. Medication is often not needed for mild to moderate depression but having an outlet to express feelings is. It is very hard for a 7-year-old to really understand their own feelings. She misses her dad and probably is taking to heart being the eldest. You're doing the right thing in trying to get her help. Helping her find ways to manage her anxiety now will be a lifelong gift. Good luck and know you're in a lot of people's hearts.

Thank you to you and your family during your husbands deployment and for his service to our country! As for your daughter, if you belong to a church would one of the ministers or preachers be willing to talk to her, if your church has a youth minister that would be an option as well. I am not one for medicating for just anything but if it is really depression your daughter may benefit from medication. If she can talk to someone at church, school or a counselor/therapist somewhere else and that does not help, I would seek help from the doctor. God Bless, and I will keep your family specifically in my prayers.

Does the school have a deployment group? Our school has a meeting once a week for kids to come together and discuss how awful it is with Daddy gone. My kids have been part of it the last two years. It really helps to let them know they aren't the only ones feeling blue because daddy is halfway around the world.
Have her participate in the deployment packages.
Take newsprint and trace her and her sisters then have the girls color them.
Take video of the girls.
Have Daddy go to the chaplain and see if he has the a reading program for deployed father to read to their children. My husband did this, my kids put in Daddy almost every night after we got the DVD.
Get Skype.
Whatever you do don't bemoan the fact that daddy is gone. If you show them how sad you are then they will pick up on it and be that much sadder.
Maybe go out to lunch on Sundays or something, have a routine that is just you and the girls. And when Daddy is back it stops. We did ChickFilA on Friday's and the library.
Getting help is not a failure either. It's hard when Daddy is gone. And it gets worse the older they get. Mine are 9,12 and 14. My worst deployment was the last one.
Good luck an dGod Bless.

don't deny the med because it is temporary. She is hurting and can't help herself. Is he talking to you all nightly, on the computer? Have her see someone on a reg basis until he returns. She needs help right now. If they recommend a med, give it to her, but she also needs to talk to a child psychologist.

I have not been through this. However, I teach and there are often problems that are similar to what your family is going through. Your school counselor should be able to pull her for one on one time at least once a week to talk with her. Even though the school can't always resolve the issues at hand it is another adult in her life to show affection and friendship to her. Someone else to hug and say hello in the hallway. Also, do you have mental coverage under your health plan. Talking these things out really do help even the smallest kids. Often they won't talk to you. For many different reasons. I am sure you are doing a great job with your girls. Don't blame yourself. Last year one of my kindergarten kids showed symptoms of depression during her fathers deployment. Your pedi should be able to give you a name of someone they trust. If your insurance doesn't cover mental health I would contact a church. I bet they would do it at little or no cost once you explain your situation. Best wishes!