European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 03, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes saturday september 3,1977 modern Medicine depression con strike youth As Well As parents by Michael j. Halberstam  myth of Happy childhood has until recently done much to prevent parents an health professionals from recognizing that de pression can strike children As Well As  it does strike by conservative Esti mate up to 20 per cent of the children in this country at any one time. The rising suicide rate in children and adolescents bolsters the statistic. One reason childhood depression went unrecognized for so Long is that parents Are slow to recognize their role in their children s unhappiness. Many parents Are themselves de  they mistake a child s de pression for delinquency or laziness. Or the fail to notice anything wrong because Young sters have trouble expressing feelings an reveal depression in different ways than adults. For example children usually remain Active and show some interest in their sur  depression is also hard to detect sometimes because much of it May be masked. Instead of withdrawing feeling dejected and showing despair the child with masked depression often resorts to temper tantrums delinquency Defiance aggressive behaviour running away frantic search for new activities or use of drugs and alcohol. He May have difficulties in school suffer psycho somatic illnesses fatigue and boredom an alternate hostility and clinging to parents. Depressed childen especially those react ing to a tragedy such As the loss of a loved one sometimes reveal sadness in their posture and faces especially during unguarded moments. They May say things like my nose i too  nobody likes  i am the stupidest kid in the  my parents always criticize  sometimes i would like to  children May cry frequently speak in a Monotone withdraw from Normal activities and friends and reject help or Comfort. The dreams and drawings of such depressed youngsters express themes of destruction loss mutilation aggression abandonment death and suicide. Why do children despair almost always they Are reacting to a loss whether of a loved one or of a previous state of being such As lifers it existed before the birth of a sibling. Of course it is Normal for a child to be depressed by anything from the death of a pet to the loss of a grandparent but it is abnormal for the sadness to persist. The loss could be a void in the Parent child relationship that occurs when the Parent Sud Denly withdraws interest in the child perhaps because of illness or financial or marital prob lems. Or the loss could be rejection by parents inthe form of contempt Over Protection or compliments for insignificant things. Such Subtle actions Tell a child or an adult for that matter that he or she is considered Worth less. Early detection and treatment Are essential or childhood depression can become a lifetime pattern of unhappiness. The earlier treatment begins the better the chances of Success. Parents need to be Alert to the signals that their child is depressed. Accept and be sensitive to the child feelings rather than ignore suppress or downgrade Youthful concerns listen sympathetically. Help the child find interesting activities. Help the child succeed at something so that self Confidence May begin to build. Change daily routines to break the Cycle of depression. Be unafraid to set Clear limits on behaviour or to discipline the child for even a de pressed child needs these stabilizing influences. Sometimes it is the very fact that parents have not cared enough to impose limits and discipline that underlies the de pression. Know the difference Between temporary blues and serious depression. When sadness lasts several weeks or longer and interferes with the child s thinking functioning an physical health it is time to seek outside help. Sometimes a close relative or Friend Sensi Tive teacher Clergyman or other adult who is close to the child can help relieve the de pression. When it persists parents need a health professional trained to work with Chil Dren. Paediatricians family physicians and family and child health Counselor in Man school systems and communities can refer a family to competent care or provide it them selves. O new York times successful antismoking drive stresses now dangers to kids san Francisco a an antismoking Campaign aimed at Junior High school Stu dents has shown significant results by warn ing them about the immediate health hazards instead of what might happen to them in 30years, a Houston psychologist reported. The students also were taught to be aware of How companies use advertisements featuring attractive women and other Media techniques to encourage the habit said or. Richard i. Evans of the University of hous ton. Another part of the Campaign he said told them How to say no to social pressures from other youths to  said the Success of the program among the students indicates it could help prevent some youths from Ever smoking. What May have clicked in this program where others have failed is that the youths were told of the immediate hazards and the message was changed frequently to avoid the nag effect Evans  is not enough Evans said in an interview at the 85th annual meeting of the american psychological association. For years kids have been getting message saying when you get old you la get cancer or emphysema but at this age they Are living in present time  study undertaken by Evans and his col leagues involved 750 Houston Independent school District seventh graders. One group of the students was asked about smoking habits 31 per cent said they had smoked at least one cigarette in the previous month and tested again 10 weeks later. No antismoking instruction was Given to  groups of students were asked the same questions then participated in various kinds of antismoking instruction. Some were shown films about the dangers of smoking including graphic explanations about the amount of poisonous Gas and nicotine that gets into the body As soon As smoking begins. Other films showed How children Are influenced by parents smoking and one included an analysis of How cigarette companies hide the surgeon general s health warning which is required on cigarette packages a dads. By the end of the 10 weeks 18.3 per cent of the control group those who were not shown antismoking propaganda had taken up smoking. Among the other groups fewer student Shad started smoking ranging from 8.6 per cent to 10.3 per  said that the Success of the Experiment has led to a much larger three Yea study currently under Way in Houston. It involves about 10,000 students. Across1 Warp yarn 4 literary miscellany 9 Sharp knock12 fish eggs 13 separate14 actor Wallach 15 province of Spain 17 meet i session 18 nothing19 Bland 21 Tenor Enrico 24 vestibule25 metallic rock2? urge on 28 in no case31 spy had 33 word of approval m Franco belgian river36 Singer Bryant 38-o Shanter 41 River i Thailand 41 Young horse 43 Tennis Racket string45 mists 47 govt. Agcy.48 be the trouble with 49 Long raft54 Mountain in crete55 hackneyed 56 conceit57 celtic Neptune 58 Fame Canadian physician59 totem pole down1 Jeanne d 2 Anaconda 3 you yes indeed 4 suitcase 5 makeshift 6 scampered7 kind of Coffee 8 Cossack chief 9 settling 10 dismounted avg. Solution time 22  Seff lil Shubb i a she shsfflhehhmii23 by kid Effie Aea Heseop suss/1hflhls Hal end onh ens hoes Sera 14 answer to yesterday s Puzzle. 11 essential part 16 babylonian god 20 margarine21 stupor 22 islands Galway bay23 net like 27 secure29edom 30 landlord income 32 bomb34 ency Ted 37 one of the furies 39 impairer42 former Russia rulers 44 chinese pagoda45 dip out water Kneat Anchor 50 poetic contraction51 actor harrison52-Khan s3 in no manner today crossword 12 15 21 25 31 36 45 48 54" 22 23 16 18 32 13 55 58" 19 4s 28 39 20 35 14 n 40 51 29 52 9-3 Onn dear Ann Landers i la Getright to the Point. I m a Guy who graduated from High school injure. My dad is considering buying a Van from his  s really neat has All the extras including mag wheels. Dad Bor rowed it from his brother to try it out for a  told me i could drive it but Only when he was along because he did t want to take any chances. Dad had to go out of town for three Days. On the second Day the temptation was too much. I took the Van to show off for some of my pals. I was Only gone a couple of hours. When i got Home dad was there decided to shorten his trip. The minute i walked into the House the Yelling started. I never saw him so mad in my whole  gave me two choices a whip Ping or losing the privilege of driving my own car for two months. I said some  Don t you just give me the electric chair that got to him. He started slapping me on the  he took off his Belt and hit me with that. It Hurt plenty. Ionly had on my Tennis shorts. He Alto took my car keys and said you la see these again when you re 18." that s three months off mom thinks the punishment i too harsh. I think it s miserable. What do you think Rick dear Rick i agree with you sad yer Mother. By the time this letter appears i la bet your dad has realized he acted in haste and has already softened the  after giving you a Choice he made his Owa an went farther than he should have. Belts Are for holding of pants not for hitting people. Dear Ann Landers i have solution for the woman whose husband likes her Side of the be better once he is asleep i used to have the same  the snoring started i grabbed my Pillow got out of bed and crawled in on his Side. It took 60 seconds and no  thing after a week or so he stayed on his own Side. Victorious dear Vic How logical i would Ever have thought of it. Dear Ann Landers i m sick and tired of the Way you come out for teenage privacy. The reason these kids insist on privacy is be cause they Don t want their parents to find the pot or birth control Bills they have hidden hither bedrooms or other secret places. They think nothing of invading our privacy 24 hours a Day demanding the run of the House doing As they darn Well please. They Are rude Sloppy and want to do their own thing. No one is supposed to question what the Yare up to or into. Your children must be at elastin their 30s so what do you know about teenagers a kid s room i where Bis parents let him live so Knock top from Tennessee dear Tea i deft mow what Kud of pre atoms Yoi Are having with your to Reagan m fun bettor Are co Merabie. Kus us a to or Iowa to their Para of them. That s your c 1w7 Flold  inc