Help - can children have depression?

I love my boy I really do but at the moment he is breaking my heart and I don’t know what to do.

There is no life in him he slouches about and seems uninterested in anything. I asked him what was wrong and he said he just wanted to sleep because it was quiet. “I only want to sleep Mamma,” he said.

He’s only seven, though in a month he’ll be eight, and he doesn’t seem to care about anything at the moment. Not his toys, his friends, school work. He whines a lot and is beastly to his brother and well I land up shouting at him in frustration as he doesn’t seem to hear anything I say such as put your shoes on, sit up, eat your food. It seems as if I am always telling him off and it’s exhausting. I tried cajoling him, letting him be but it just gets worse. So I chivvy him, hassle him and push him along.

Recently he’s gone off his food and the boy, who once was adventurous, now picks or else says he doesn’t like it and I am at a total loss.

This morning he peed on the rug in his room. He couldn’t be bothered to go to the loo so he just peed. I will add that he peed in his nappy, as due to his epilepsy he has problems staying dry at night. But this was when he was wide awake. He doesn’t seem to mind that his nappy is full of pee. It stinks and must be so uncomfortable. I don’t understand why he doesn’t care.

I thought once we got his epilepsy under control which we have life would be so much easier for him but it isn’t. And it’s so unfair.

So now I am looking for ways to help him to boost his self-esteem to make him happy and I feel that I am not the one to do this, I don’t know how. I don’t know how to help him as he doesn’t seem to want to help himself...

It worries me because his behaviour seems very like that of someone who is depressed but can children get depression?

I thought about his epilepsy medication he’s currently on Ethosuximide and Sodium Valproate both of which have depression as a side effect…but surely not in one so young?

Epilepsy - why is it SO exhausting!

For the last two years I have been querying the powers that be about The Boy and his treatment. At first it was a battle just to get them to agree that there was a problem. I was vindicated the ECG proved what I was saying. Then finally getting treatment I dared to quiz that, for two years.

I kept saying that wasn't the treatment meant to stop The Boy's seizures? I never got a straight answer. All I got was scepticism and a supercilious raised eyebrow.

Basically I was not believed. So I noted down and got his teachers to note down all his seizures. Now that in itself was difficult, for it was the blind leading the blind so to speak. I had to learn how to recognise these fleeting passes and then having to teach his teachers how to recognise them. We did it but not without some difficulty. Every one of the staff at the school had to keep watch over him and among a couple of hundred children that is a difficult even at the best of times.

To make matters worse we changed schools and I had to start with my teaching all over again. It was exhausting. Now finally the doctors are taking note especially when faced with all the notes and diaries I lug along with me to every appointment.

Yesterday we spent four hours in the hospital sorting The Boy out and now he's got new drugs to try out and all the note taking and diary keeping continues with me informing all and sundry what is going on. Asking them to look out for odd behaviour in a child that is already odd. To note down things they think might be adverse reactions to his new drugs such as increased irritability and excessive sleepiness and of course to keep an eye on everything else. They are saints and I feel so guilty about making them do this again. I keep saying only a few more weeks and we'll have it under control, I do hope it isn't wishful thinking!!!

The Boy is now taking Sodium Valproate in the form of Epilim Chrono and Ethosuximide in the form of Emeside in the hope that he can be weaned off the epilim once the emeside kicks in. It will take about two months all being well. And hopefully, cross fingers there won't be any seizures for the answer to my question is this: The medication is meant to STOP the seizures from happening at all.

PS ThinkingSlimmer - Not a good day today either I am really pushing the limits, very aware of how I am slipping. . However, still thinking about my food in terms of how much I am eating so hopefully I will count that as a good thing!