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    102 Creative Strategies Depressed Children & Adolescents

    Uploaded by

    Mónica Soares
    .

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    lectin aca SOL ode ata Resource fol unselors, By Kaye Randall, LISW-CP, Donna Strom, Ed.S., LPG RDU EB eee aa Table of Contents Introduction: How to use this book .. Section 1; Understanding Depression in Youth ‘What is Depression? ‘What are the Different Types?. How Can We Recognize Depression? Preschool. Elementary Adolescent .. Overview of Therapeutic Approaches... Section 2: The 102 Creative Strategies and Suggestions. Strategy #1 My Favorite Place Strategy #2 Nose Breathing. Strategy #3 Body Control... 5 Strategy #4 Viral Trip To The Beach.. Strategy #5 My Calm Spot Strategy #6 Fly Away. Strategy #7 IPOD® of the Mind. Strategy #8 Relaxing Images Mobile Strategy #9 Freedom Dance Strategy #10 Athletes Day. Strategy #11 Family Fitness Day Strategy #12 Lessons From Nature Strategy #13. “My Pyramid” . Strategy #14 Egg Float. Strategy #15 Mellow Jello .. Strategy #16 Chef for The Night Strategy #17 _ Re-Framing Negative Pictures. Strategy #18 Forgiveness Factor. Strategy #19 Forgive & Stand TALL Strategy #20. Self-Forgiveness Strategy #21 Nature Scavenger Hunt Strategy #22 Do It NOWNIE .. Strategy £23 Climb Your Inner Mountaitswss-sssnsonnnenonvnnnnonnend? Strategy #24 The CARE Model 29 Strategy #25 Clear Vision /Cloudy Vision Strategy #26 Can See Clearly ... Strategy #27 What Lies Beneath? Strategy #28 A Person Who Laughs Last Strategy #29 Fill My Cup. Strategy #30 Getting To The Root Strategy #31 Feelings Wordlist Strategy #32. “Eye” CAN Strategy #33 Strength Coaching... Strategy #34 Strategy #35 Strategy #36 Strategy 437 Strategy #38 Strategy #39 Strategy #40 Strategy #41 Strategy #42 Strategy #43 Strategy #44 Strategy #45 Strategy #46 Strategy #47 Strategy #48 Strategy #49 Strategy #50 Strategy #51 Strategy #52 Strategy #53 Strategy #54 Strategy #55 Strategy #56 Strategy #57 Strategy #58 Strategy #59 Strategy #60 Strategy #61 Strategy #62 Strategy #63 Strategy #64 Strategy #65 Strategy #66 Strategy #67 Steategy #68 Strategy #69 Strategy #70 Strategy #71 Strategy #72 Strategy #73 Strategy #74 Strategy #75 Strategy #76 Strategy #77 Strategy #78 Table of Contents Every Child Has A Gift Cloudy Sky/Clear Sky Can't - Won't Coulel - Will ‘The 4 Step Problem Solving Model How To Take The Ist Step Pro's & Con's .. Finish the Sentence Looking Back .. Teaching Resiliency The Road To Recovery... Support Systems Help Box ASecond Wind. “This Too Shall Pass” Be An Encourager Youth Helping Youth ‘Time Machine How Do You Spell SUCCESS?. BRRESREBERRRE How Do You See Success? 50 A Rainbow of Hope... 50 Who Am I? mA Special Encouragement, A Personal Strength Symbol Award Yourself. Wisdom From Elders = Famous People Who Were Depressed Rational & Irrational Fears. Stress Test .. ee Learning to Cope With Stress . Body Image nse Hot Seat (group activity)... Good Deeds... Re-Frame The Brain. ‘Mold Your Mood ‘The Good News Paper Creative Dramatics Say Cheese!.. Bibliotherapy .. Recovery Tool Kit Mind Doodle Draw & Share ‘Music Mania Rap It Up... Un Cork It Table of Contents Strategy #79 Hope Floats. Strategy #80 Success Journal. Strategy #81 Body Image. Strategy #82 Trust Others! Strategy #83 Trust Walk. Strategy #84 Walk With Me..... Strategy #85 Take a Seat : Strategy #86 Getting Over Life's Difficulties... Strategy #87 Putting The Pieces Together. Strategy #88 Say it Again... a Strategy #89 Care and Share Time. Strategy #90 Family Tree se Strategy #91 Do's & Doris of Discipline & Boundaries | Strategy #92 Sel Preservation unm Strategy #93 Bea Listener not a Lecturer Strategy #94 Use The CALM Approach .. Strategy #95 Who Can Help Strategy #96 10 Tips for Parents, Strategy #97 Family Beliefs Strategy #98 Finding A Professional Helper .. Strategy #99 Memories & Moments of Joy.. Strategy #100. Parent Support Group... Strategy #101 Search for Talents, Strategy #102 "Identifity Triggers ~ the 3 S's". Appendix A: Proactive Action Planning ... Appendix B: Recommended Resources... References About the Authors 87 8s SL 92 Tne Te Introduction Depression can affect people at any age, including children and adolescents. It is more than just being moody or irritable. Depression can also be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain (Denkmire, 2005, Katz & Katz, 2003, Horwath, 2001). When a depressive state, or mood, lingers for a long time and limits a child's ability to function normally, it can be diagnosed as depression. Depression effects self-esteem and motivation, thereby interfering with a person's ability or wish to get help. (www.psychologyinfo.com Psychology Information Online) ‘According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), it has only been in the past two decades that depression in children has been taken very seriously. The depressed child may pretend to be sick, refuse to go to school, exhibit clingy behavior, or worry that a parent may die. Older children may sulk, get into trouble at school, be negative, grouchy, and feel misunderstood. Because normal behaviors vary from one childhood stage to another, it ult to tell whether a child is just going through a temporary " phase” or is suffering from depression (NIMH, 2006) Different types of depression include: dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), major depression, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and bipolar disorder. All of these mood disorders can affect children and adolescents. Depression onset is occurring earlier in life today than in past decades. Early-onset depression often persists, reoccurs, and continues into adulthood, and depression in youth may be a predictor of more severe illness later in life. In the United States, 2.5 percent of children and 8.3, percent of adolescents suffer from depression (NIMH, 2006). A NIMH sponsored study of 9- to 17-year-olds estimates that the prevalence of any depression is more than 6 percent in a 6-month period, with 4.9 percent having major depression. Depression in young people often co-occurs with other mental disorders, ‘most commonly anxiety, disruptive behavior, or substance abuse disorders, and with physical illnesses, such as diabetes. Other important factors play a role in the onset of depression, biochemistry, genetics, personality, and environment. How to Use This Book This book is intended to be used by the helping professional who has encountered a child or adolescent who has been affected by depression. We have included many different approaches that we believe can be effective in reaching and helping young people. We have separated this book into six sections: relaxation, health and nutrition, cognitive-behavioral, creative arts, adventure challenge games and parent strategies. Each section contains strategies or activities designed to help the child /adolescent cope with depression. This book is designed to be used in conjunction with other treatment modalities such as counseling and medication. The activities in this book can be used with an individual child or adolescent or in a small group setting. These activities are intended to help the child /adolescent explore and share their feelings surrounding the depression they may be experiencing and learn strategies for appropriately dealing with these feelings. Our desire is to help you connect with the child / adolescent and understand their thoughts and emotions while helping them to explore other ways of coping. Through your caring and trusting relationship you can use some of the approaches mentioned in this book to help children /adolescents communicate, cope and ultimately heal. Understandin Depression in Children What is Depression? Depression is a serious medical illness. Unlike normal emotional experiences of sadness, loss, or passing mood states, depression is persistent and can significantly interfere with an individual's thoughts, behavior, mood, activity, and physical health. There are different types of depression that affect children and adolescents for example; major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder Dysthymia consists of chronic symptoms that do not disable, but keep one from feeling really good. Physically, it is like having a low grade fever that never develops into a full-blown illness, but it always makes you feel a little run down. Dysthymia occurs in approximately 0.6 to 1.7 percent in prepubescent children and 1.6 to 8 percent in adolescents. It is, considered a "gateway" disorder because of its early age of onset and increased risk of other affective disorders (NIMH, 2000). Bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) is a serious but treatable medical illness. It is a disorder characterized by extreme changes in mood, energy, thinking and behavior. Symptoms may be present since infancy or early childhood, or may suddenly emerge in adolescence or adulthood. This illness looks different in children than it does in adults. Children usually have an ongoing, continuous mood disturbance that is a mix of mania and depression. This rapid and severe cycling between moods produces chronic irritability and few clear periods of wellness between episodes. Bipolar Disorder may begin either with manic or depressive symptoms. Neurobiological research suggests that neurochemical imbalances in the brain may be related to the symptoms and episodes of depression and mania (Katz & Katz, 2003, Horwath, 2001). Teenagers with Bipolar Disorder may have an ongoing combination of extremely high (manic) and low (depressed) moods. These moods may alternate or the person may feel both at the same time. Up to 1/3 of the 34 million children and adolescents with depression in the United States may actually be experiencing the early onset of bipolar disorder.10 to. 15% of adolescents with recurrent depressive episodes will eventually develop Bipolar Disorder (NIMH, 2000). How Can We Recognize Depression? Extensive research has identified the signs and symptoms of depression. In children, doctors are learning, these classic symptoms often may be obscured by other behavioral and physical complaints. Depression is more difficult to diagnose in children because many behaviors associated with depression can also be normal in children. In evaluating a child for depression, a therapist considers the number, duration and severity of signs and symptoms. The following is a general list of symptoms adapted from the Mayo Clinic. Preschool * Listless * Decreased interest in playing * Cries easily and more often than usual + Complains of stomach ache Elementary * Listless and moody * More irritable than usual * Looks sad * Easily discouraged * Complains of boredom * More distant with friends and family * Difficulty with schoolwork * Talks about death Teenager © Always tired * Has more arguments with parents and teachers + Engages in harmful behavior, such as cutting himself/herself + Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure * Alcohol or substance abuse Drops out of favorite activities Refuses to do chores or homework Has suicidal thoughts Increased irritability, anger, or hostility Reckless behavior Difficulty with relationships Professionals need to differentiate between normal child /adolescent development and mood disorders. For example, typical adolescent emotions consist of emotional turmoil, mood swings, dark introspection, drama, heightened sensitivity, rebellious behavior and behavior changes. In addition, it is important to be cautious of the possibility of misdiagnosing the child /adolescent. For example, Bipolar disorder is often mis-diagnosed as attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD). ‘The assessment of depression in children can prove difficult depending on their developmental stage. These children often are oppositional or withdrawn, may refuse to talk, and may be irritable, angry and uncooperative. Depending on their developmental stage, youngsters may act out feelings, including suicidal thoughts, rather than verbalize them. At times, the seriousness of these suicide attempts may not be obvious to parents or teachers and may be minimized. Understanding Depression in Children Contino) The most important aspect of any suicide attempt is understanding what the child expects will happen because of his or her behavior. For example, if a youngster takes five acetaminophen tablets and truly believes they will cause death, it is the intent more than the action that is important to consider. It is important to know that untreated depression can lead to suicide (The National Institute of Mental Health). School-aged children are cognitively able to internalize environmental stressors (e.g., family conflict, criticism, failure to achieve academically) and display low self-esteem and excessive guilt. However, much of this inner turmoil is expressed through somatic complaints (headaches, stomachaches), anxiety (school phobia, excessive separation anxiety) irritability (temper tantrums and other behavioral problems) Overview of Therapeutic Approaches in Working with Depression ‘According to the National Institute of Mental health, psychotherapy may use a cognitive or interpersonal approach in exploring events and feelings that are painful to a teen. It also can help with the development of new coping skills. Current research show's that certain types of short-term psychotherapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy can help relieve the symptoms of depression in children and adolescents (Horwath, 2001). Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that people with depression have cognitive distortions in their views of themselves, the world, and their future. Cognitive therapy recognizes that emotional health is related to thought patterns and beliefs about the world and that the thinking of a depressed teen may be pessimistic and dominated by negativity and anticipation of harmful outcomes, CBT, designed to be a time-limited therapy, focuses on changing these distortions. An NIMH-supported study that compared different types of psychotherapy for major depression in adolescents found that CBT led to remission in nearly 65 percent of cases, a higher rate than either supportive therapy or family therapy. CBT also resulted in a more rapid treatment response. Using medication to treat mental illness in children and adolescents has caused controversy. Many doctors have been understandably reluctant to treat young people with psychotropic medications because, until fairly recently, little evidence was available about the safety and efficacy of these drugs in youth, Family therapy may be helpful if family conflict is contributing to the depression. Family therapy may also be helpful in increasing awareness of depression and teaching various strategies to use in helping the child or adolescent. FUT eCPrATIWE CEP AFreire ee Relaxation My Favorite Place Have the child /adolescent find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. With eyes closed ask him/her to imagine his/her favorite place. Have him/her picture what it looks like, feels like, smells like, and what sounds they hear. Ask him/her to imagine themselves feeling very relaxed there. Then, have them open their eyes and draw a picture of themselves relaxing in their favorite place. Ask the child /adolescent to display this picture on a wall in his/her room or in the bathroom as a reminder of how to relax, Nose Breathing Have the child /adolescent sit on the floor cross legged with arms relaxed on their lap. Ask him/her to try to clear their mind of any worries. Have him/her practice breathing deeply in through the nose and then deeply out from the nose. (If the child has trouble breathing out of his/her nose have him/her breathe from his/her mouth using deep breaths). When he/she breathes in have him //her imagine filling a balloon inside his/her body and when breathing out imagine emptying the balloon through his /her nose. Have the child / adolescent practice this kind of breathing whenever feeling worried, stressed or discouraged. Body Control Have the child /adolescent describe the part of his/her body that becomes physically uncomfortable when he/she is tense. Then role play with him/her how to control that body part in order to relax. For example: * Stomachache ~ While sitting, have the child tighten the stomach muscles and count to 10. Then slowly release those muscles while breathing out of the mouth for 10 counts. Repeat several times * Headache — Have the child tighten his/her forehead and eyes for 10 seconds. Then release and loosen those same muscles for 10 seconds. Repeat several times. * Hands / palms shake or sweat ~ Make tight fists and hold 10 seconds. Then release and move fingers for 10 seconds. Repeat the several times. FUE CREATIVE CEP Aer eIES SES Relaxation A Virtual Trip To The Beach If available, a CD or DVD with sounds and images of the ocean would be helpful. However, it can be just as relaxing to find pictures of the ocean in books, on the web, or from a family vacation and display these nearby. Have the child adolescent close his/her eyes, take some deep breaths, and remember a time he/she took a trip to the beach. Ask he /she to remember the sound of the ocean waves softly breaking near the edge of the beach while his/her feet and toes relax in the soft sand. Think of looking across those waves toward the horizon and feeling the peacefulness in the open space before you. Enjoy the sea gulls floating over the water and the dolphins gliding up and down as they follow each other across the water. Have the child describe other Sounds he/she hears when at the beach. Ask him/her to imagine finding. treasure chest while at the beach. Have him/her imagine opening the chest. Ask him/her to describe what he/she found inside the chest. My Calm Spot Ask the child / adolescent to choose an invisible spot on their arm, face or hand. When they are feeling tense, stressed or discouraged he/she can press that spot as a reminder to calm down and relax. Remind them that applying a little pressure is okay but not enough to hurt themselves. Some examples are; two fingers pressing together, gently pressing the forehead, behind the ear, etc. PLE CPE ARRIVE CEP AFECIrC Relaxation Fly Away Have the child pretend he/she has wings and can fly. Ask him/her to open his/her wings to stretch them out. Then have him/her pretend to fly away from his/her worries, away from all the stress and problems he/she is facing. Have him/her pretend to soar and sway from side to side gliding around in an open area, Now ask him/her to make sounds like a bird. Ask the child to describe times he/she can put on their wings and fly away? iPOD® of the Mind Ask the child to imagine an iPOD” in their mind. He/She can change the song, control the volume and decide when to turn it off or on. Have the child think of a song they like to listen to that is positive and relaxing to him/her. Have him/her turn up the sound on their POD® and then turn it down. Next have him/her change the song. Ask him/her how this iPOD* of the mind can help him/her when unhealthy thoughts enter his/her mind. Ask what kind of songs they chose to play and why. Ta we 2PEAFIWVE CEP AFEeIErC Relaxation | Relaxing Images Mobile Have the child /adolescent collect pictures from magazines that symbolize calmness and relaxation. Examples would be pictures of the ocean, sunset, someone sleeping or relaxing, an island, or other soothing pictures. Have him/her cut out the pictures and glue them onto a paper plate and fill both sides. Ask the child / adolescent to share what pictures he/she chose for their mobile and why. Then, have the child /adolescent make a hole in the top and place a string through the hole. Ask him/her to hang these in his/her bedroom or other room to look at when he/she feels worried or stressed. Freedom Dance Play slow instrumental music and have the child close his/her eyes. First, ask the child to allow his/her body to sway to the music. Then, have child lift his /her arms and let them flow and glide all about you. Allow your head to move in circles and picture yourself completely without form. Continue to float until the end of the song For older students you may want to use African drums as the music they dance to. ‘Ask the child /adolescent to think of when this kind of dancing can help to relieve stress and tension. SUE CPE ARIVE CFP AFEFeIrc Health/Nutrition Athletes Day Invite some athletes from a local college or university to come in and work with an individual child /adolescent or a group of students. Many athletes can relate really well to how it felt when they were younger. Invite them to speak with the student(s) and offer encouragement and hope. Maybe they could work with a child /adolescent as a mentor. Invite those students with an interest in a certain sport to meet one of the athletes and then form his/her own athletic team at the school. Family Fitness Day Have the child lead the entire family in their favorite exercise. Let each person choose their favorite exercise until everyone has had a tur to lead. As everyone exercises have each person share one thing positive about the person leading them. Designate one day of the week for Family Fitness Day. PEE CPt ABIVE CEeP AFEeirc HE Health /Nutrition adi Lessons From Nature Encourage the child /adolescent to take a walk in the woods or on a nature trail. Have him/her bring a writing pad or drawing pad with him /her. Ask him/her to watch for living things such as insects, birds, small animals, etc. to observe and describe by answering the questions below. * How does this creature survive in the wild? * What does this creature do to defend itself against predators? + How do these creatures help each other? '* What happens to these creatures during a bad storm? + How do they manage or survive after a storm? ‘+ What would happen if they all gave up? * What lessons can you learn from these creatures? SME CRPEATIVE CFR AFECIES Ma Health /Nutrition "My Pyramid’ Nutrition is an important factor when dealing with depression in children and adolescents. There is a website sponsored by the USDA to help children and adolescents learn about healthy food choices. It contains many useful resources about healthy eating and has an interactive piece to help personalize a plan. Have the child /adolescent design his/her own Food Pyramid. Ask him /her to share how certain foods make them feel for example eating sweets or deserts can make you feel tired and have no energy. Go to: www-mypyramid.gov kids for more ideas. Tee PEE CPE AFIVE CFP AFECIES éalth/Nutrition Egg Float Have the child /adolescent draw a face on the side of an egg, Then place the egg in a glass of water. It will automatically sink to the bottom. Ask the child /adolescent why they think the egg sank. Using the egg as a metaphor talk about how the egg sinking is like a person who emotionally sinks when they feel sad or depressed by what others have said to them. Then have the child /adolescent remove the egg and add a tablespoon of salt to the water to symbolize a kind word or deed he/she could do to make someone feel appreciated and accepted. Then have the child /adolescent add the egg to the water and see what happens. Discuss how kind words or actions can help someone feel more supported and cause the worry to feel lighter. Ask the child /adolescent to describe a time in his/her life when he/she felt just like this egg. Ask how he/she was able to rise above it like the egg. (Activity adapted from: Miller, J. (1998), 10-Minute Life Lessons For Kids, New Yorks NY. HiarperPeremmia,) Mellow ‘ello Make different flavored Jello and cut into shapes. Describe how the Jello feels to touch it and how it is similar to our feelings. Talk about the molding process and how if it sits too long it becomes too hard, just like our negative thoughts. When we keep checking, to see if it is jelling okay, it is similar to when we do a frequent self-check of our own feelings. Mellow Jello is much better than hard Jello that has formed a hard film that tastes awful! Ask the child / adolescent how he/she can keep his/her feelings from becoming too hard. 18 Drown FEE CPE AFIVE CEP AFECIFC BN Health /Nutrition Tae Chef for The Night : Designate one night that the child /adolescent creates a menu for either a snack at school ora meal at home. It must follow healthy guidelines but it can be as creative as they want to be. Encouraging the child /adolescent to become involved in the meal preparation will guide them in making better food choices while encouraging him/her to feel a sense of importance. Variation: you could also have the child /adolescent help aut one day in the school cafeteria, BE CPE AFIVE CFP AFEeIES BEEN O Sitive-Behavioral * Re-Framing Negative Pictures Often negative thoughts result in negative pictures in our minds. This can be a result of such things as a trauma, an over exaggeration or fear of a future event, a troubled memory, or a loved one who is very sick. These pictures in our minds can interfere with sleep, concentration, or focus. Re-framing these images by changing how we think about it can replace the negative thoughts and help us function more effectively. For the following activity have the child / adolescent reframe the negative images on the left with three positive changes they can make about the image or situation on the right. For the ast one have him/her write something that they personally have had negative thoughts about lately and then three positive changes he/she can make to re-frame the picture into something more positive. 20 STR Te Re-Framing Negative pictures or Re-frame picture using images kids have 3 positive changes Getting an “F” ona test Not having any friends Parent getting sick Being picked on by abully Not being noticed by anyone ae PE CPE AFIVE CFP AFECIESC itive-Behavioral Forgiveness Factor Using the Forgiveness Factor Worksheet on the next page ask the child to use a real life situation that involves another person. Then have him/her share his/her responses with you and talk about how forgiveness can help him/her with future problems he/she might encounter. ‘Ask the student to write outa situation ‘below then complete the worksheet on the next page. Details of the situation: So S WARMCHEET Forgiveness Factor What did you say or do about the situation? What was the other person's response to what you said? | sete esiessssteseseesenenes Z ee | Did they apologize for what ONO | If they did not apologize, how do you feel toward that person? If they did apologize, have you forgiven this person? YES NO a = | What does it mean to forgive? How can forgiving someone help you personally? How can not forgiving someone affect you? RUE CPE AFIVE CFP AFECIEC BEEN Snitive-Behavioral * Forgive & Stand TALL Tr the person calmly how what they said hurt your feelings. Acc an apology and verbally tell that person you forgive them. t at their side and if they do not apologize, forgive them anyway. Tt It Go! Do not hold a grudge. Stand tall and be proud of yourself! (You will live a happier and healthier life when you practice this) oa BME CPE AFIVE CFP AFEeIrc BEEN O Snitive-Behavioral Self-Forgiveness Many times we do not forgive ourselves for mistakes we have made in the past. Share a time you said or did something you regretted later. Then complete the worksheet on the next page. Encourage the child /adolescent to share his/her responses with you. Follow up in about a week with the child/ adolescent. If the child / adolescent hasn’t been able to resolve the situation he/she wrote about then refer the student to the school guidance counselor. Samia Te N BAS Ae FP 99 ee Self-Forgiveness Who did you hurt? How do you feel about what you said or did? If you could speak to that person again, what would you say? Write it below. Are you able to physically speak with this person? O.YES NO IfYes: Share what you wrote above with this person. IENo: Share what you wrote with a friend or trusting adult as if they were that person. Now repeat the statement below at least once a day until you really believe it. “| forgive myself and know that! ama unique and worthwhile person” 5 7 SRT Te BME CPE ARIVE CEP AFEeCIFG itive-Behavioral Nature Scavenger Hunt Have the child /adolescent take a walk in the woods and collect items from nature that represents his/her life, Be sure to tell him/her to not destroy any living thing but to select items that are on the ground such as; a branch, leaf, rock, sticks, ete. Have him/her then describe how this item from nature represents his /her life right now. Encourage the child to Do something when he/she is feeling sad or depressed. Ask him/her to come up with some examples such as; go to a friends, go to the mall, take a walk, go outside and play, find a person to help, take a pet for a walk, go jogging, listen to an upbeat song, etc. After he/she does something, ask him/her to write down what it was like and if it helped him /her. Climb Your Inner Mountain Using the drawing of a mountain on the next page, have the child / adolescent write or draw a difficulty he/she is experiencing at the mountain peak. At the base of the mountain have the child write different things he/she could do to cope with the situation. Next, have him/her make three steps going from the bottom to the top of the mountain. On each step starting at the bottom write out the first step he/she needs to take, second step, etc. Share how these steps can help him/her to eventually overcome difficulties, S BARA OP OL Climb Your Inner Mountain Directions: On the mountain peak, write a few key words to describe a difficulty you are currently experiencing. After listing some coping strategies, write out the steps you will take to overcome this challenge. Step 3: Step 2: Step 1: What are some coping strategies you could use? San Te PME CPE AFIVE CFP AFECIES Ace oe Behavioral The CARE Model Review the following CARE model with the child. Ask him /her how each one could help him/her when feeling down or sad about something that happened. Have him/her practice using this model with different situations he/she may encounter. co a friend, a relative, a trusting adult or go to your school counselor A what you cannot change about the situation Ree how you think about the situation Eee a friend or someone else who may be feeling sad Clear Vision/Cloudy Vision Using plastic eye glasses found at a general store have the child draw on the lenses of one pair with a highlighter to give them a cloudy effect. Then have the child look through the cloudy pair of glasses and tell you negative thoughts he/she has about themselves. Write these statements out on a piece of paper under a column labeled “Cloudy.” Then have the child put on the clear glasses and tell you all the positive qualities about him /her. List these under a column labeled “Clear.” Talk with the child about how these messages can have a negative / cloudy effect or a positive /clear effect on their situation depending on what glasses he /she chooses to wear. Ask him /her to give examples of when Destructive messages have made a situation worse and how having Constructive messages can help him //her to see the situation in a more positive way. Pe CRE AFIVE CFP AFECIES nitive-Behavioral 1 Can See Clearly Have the child complete the worksheet on the next page about situations that are upsetting to him/her, Ask him/her to think of ways to change how he/she sees the situation wearing the Clear glasses verses Cloudy glasses. What Lies Beneath? Explain to the child what an iceberg is and that most people see the “tip of the iceberg” (not the part underneath the water). Ask the child, “What do you allow other people to see about how you really feel?” “What do you not let others see about how you really feel?” Think of the underlying fears that most people don’t see. “What would you want people to see?” Using the “Iceberg” worksheet on page 32, have the child describe an unpleasant situation. Explain that this is just the tip of the iceberg (or the surface problem). Have him/her write it in the tip of the iceberg. Below the surface is “the Hidden Fear” This is the underlying fear or the deeper source of the problem. Have him /her write this underneath the iceberg. {for example... ‘Tip of the iceberg = Standing in front of class Underneath the iceberg = Fear of making a mistake, looking like a fool A Person Who Laughs Last There are a growing number of research articles showing the benefits of laughing and smiling. Be sure to take time out of your busy day to share a funny joke, humorous story, cartoon or video clip with the students. Ask students to find some funny stories of their ‘own to share. If you really want to get them laughing, do something crazy or out of character such as an impersonation, skit, or act out a scene from a popular movie. Provide groups of students with brief scenes from funny movies and have them act them out. After students have had a good laugh discuss how laugher can help when he/she is feeling sad or depressed. Discuss how humor can be appropriate or inappropriate. Also, have students write out situations where humor can be helpful. | Can See Clearly EVENT CLOUDY GLASSES | CLEAR GLASSES (Situations that (negative thought) (positive thought) bother you) mi | sitting alone at lunch | no one likes me who can I sit with today? What Lies Beneath? Directions: On the tip of the iceburg, write words to describe an unpleasant situation. Underneath the iceburg, write the fear you have about this situation. wb 550 ss ~ Se FUE CPE ARIVE CFP AFECIESC itive-Behavioral Fill My Cup Have the child /adolescent take a paper cup and decorate it with pictures from magazines. Then, have him/her fill the cup with strips of paper that have positive statements about themselves on each strip of paper. Tell him/her to read one each day of the week. Each week he/she needs to write more positive statements and keep their cup full. They can also ask friends to contribute positive statements about them and put them in their cup. Getting To The Root Have the child / adolescent plant a small tree or flower. Talk about the importance of caring for the plant. Ask the child / adolescent what he/she would need to do to keep the plant alive and healthy. Then ask how this is similar to what people need to stay alive and healthy? Remind the child /adolescent to take care of him/herself just like he /she cares for the plant. Discuss how weeds and insects affect a plant and can be similar to the negative thoughts or harmful things people allow to affect their own lives. Have the child /adolescent keep a weekly growth chart that describes any changes he/she sees in his/her plant. Have the child /adolescent log, how he/she cared for his/her plant and how he/she cared for him /herselt. Feelings Wordlist Have each child/ adolescent create his/her own feelings vocabulary by using a list of words that represent different feelings he /she has (pleasant/ unpleasant). Ask the child /adolescent to look up the definitions in the dictionary to understand its’ true meaning. After the list is completed have the child /adolescent practice using these words with another student, Encourage him/her to keep this wordlist handy and practice using these feeling words when expressing to others how he/she feels. THOR FEE CPE AFIVE CFP AFECIES a Behavioral “Eye” CAN Have younger students paste pictures of eyes on an empty soup can. Tell him/her that this is his/her “Eye” Can, Have the child write all the things they can do well on strips of paper. Then have him/her place these paper strips into their “Eye” Can. Tell the child that this is to remind him/her of all the things he/she can do well. Strength Coaching Help the child / adolescent discover what his/her personal strengths are. Ask him/her to review the list of personal strength words on the following page and circle the traits that describe him/her. Then talk about how he/she used this personal strength to get through a difficulty or challenge in his /her life. Now have him /her brainstorm how he/she can use this personal strength to deal with a problem or fear he/she is currently experiencing in his/her personal life. Every Child Has A Gift Itis very important for all children adolescents to excel at something and gain a sense of power in their lives. Provide opportunities for children adolescents to discover something they are good at. If a child adolescent cannot think of anything, explore his/her personal strengths and any accomplishments, achievements, interests, etc. Allow the child /adolescent to bring in an object that demonstrates what he/she is good at and share it with you or the class. Take a photo of him/her with his/her object and display the photo where he/she can see it. Use this information as a way of connecting with the child /adolescent and ask him /her questions about his/her hobby or interest. Tom Carr's book, Every Child Has A Gift, is full of inspirational stories about how people used their personal strengths to overcame incredible odds. This book is available through YouthLight, Inc. Sa NN warm Strength Coaching Directions: Circle all the personal strength words that describe you. Then place a star next to the ones that others have said about you. Adventurous Appreciative Brave Artistic Caring Cooperative Creative Curious Dependable Determined Fair Flexible Forgiving Gentle Generous Giving Good Listener Hard Worker Helpful Honest Leader Loyal Motivated Patient Positive Resourceful Respectful Sharing Thoughtful Trustworthy Unselfish Others: nae PE CPE ATIVE CFP AFECIES eee eee Behavioral pal Cloudy Sky/Clear Sky Explain to the child /adolescent the difference between cloudy thoughts and clear thoughts. When we have negative thoughts and always think the worst about things we are experiencing a cloudy sky that is gray and dreary and we can’t think clearly because our vision is clouded. When we try to think positively about things and look on the bright side we can experience a clear sky that is bright, beautiful and refreshing. A clear sky allows us to think more clear-headed and have a brighter outlook on how things can turn out. Have the child /adolescent answer whether the statements on the next page are Cloudy Sky thoughts or Clear Sky thoughts. Then, ask him/her to talk about how he/she can change the ones marked Cloudy to Clear. Can't - Won't Explain to the child / adolescent the difference between Can't and Won't. When people say, “I can’t,” in many situations, what they are really saying is, “I won't.” For Example: The statement “I can’t find any friends” can really mean, “I won't try to find new friends.” Help the child /adolescent re-phrase the statements on page 38 using “L won't’ instead of “I can’t.” Then, discuss how he/she could change the “I won't” statements and list several ideas. Could - Will Explain to the child /adolescent the difference between Could and Will. When people say, “T could,” in many situations, what they really want to say is “I will.” For Example: The statement, “I could find a new friend” is saying that you could find a new friend but you are not really sure you can. When you change it to, “I will find a new friend” you are more determined to make an effort to find a new friend. Help the child / adolescent re-phrase the statements on page 39 using “T will” instead of “I could.” Then, have the child /adolescent write steps towards how he/she will complete the “I will” statement. nN WAP vecurEe Cloudy Sky/Clear Sky Directions: Read each situation and circle whether the statement is using Cloudy Sky thoughts or Clear Sky thoughts. 1. “I will never find any friends.” 2. “I can play sports pretty good.” 3. “lama kind person.” 4, “I will never get the answer right.” 5. “I do things creatively.” 6. “No one will ever pick me to be on their team.” 7. “I did my best even though I didn’t win.” 8. “I don’t care what others say, Iam a good person.” $s eSss% eee ae aie ae ie ae WaPvwentrtt Can't - Wont Directions: Complete the “I won't” statements with things you say you can’t do. Then, write how you can change this way of thinking. “1 CAN’T GET A GOOD GRADE IN SPELLING.” “1 won't How can you change this way of thinking? “I CAN'T RAISE MY HAND IN CLASS.” “I won't How can you change this way of thinking? “1 CAN'T TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT HOW I FEEL.” “won't How can you change this way of thinking? “I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ELSE TO DO.” “T won't < How can you change this way of thinking? “I CAN'T DRAW.” *| won't “ How can you change this way of thinking? ERLE Te Could - Will Directions: Complete the “I will” statements and list several ideas. “1 COULD JOIN A CLUB AT SCHOOL.” “Twill f What steps will you take to accomplish this? “I COULD SIT WITH A NEW STUDENT AT LUNCH.” “T will os What steps will you take to accomplish this? “1 COULD TAKE CARE OF A PET.” “Twill ia What steps will you take to accomplish this? “1 COULD STUDY HARDER.” “Twill 2 What steps will you take to accomplish this? “1 COULD BE HAPPIER.” “Twill Fal What steps will you take to accomplish this? Ta we ePeaeIve cH APE ererec hitive-Behavioral The 4 Step Problem Solving Model Review the following problem solving model with your student(s). Go through each step and ask them to come up with a real problem that you can work through together using this model. Then, have students write out some real problems that have or are occurring, at school. Go through each one and assign different problems to each student pair. It is important that one student shares a concern while the other writes out their responses to each of the questions in the 4 Step model. After they complete the steps have each pair share their results. Step 1: What is the problem? Step 2: What have you tried so far? Step 3: What else could you do? (let the person brainstorm other things they could do first, then you can suggest some others using this statement; “What would happen if...” Step 4: What is your next step? How To Take The 1st Step Itis important for children /adolescents to clearly state what steps he/she will take towards solving a particular problem. Using Step #4 from the previous strategy have the child /adolescent write out the following steps he/she will take towards solving the problem. = What actions will you take toward solving this problem? = When will you take this action? = Who will be involved in this? = How will you know when this is accomplished? = How will you celebrate once it is completed? 40 SiR FUE CPEAFIVE CFP AFECIEC BEEEEENGOSnitive-Behavioral Pro’s & Con’s Discuss the pro's and con’s of how people handle personal difficulties. Have students review the list below. Using a flip chart or dry eraser board have students take turns writing out the pro's and con’s of each one and discuss how it is effective or ineffective as a way for dealing with personal problems. Ask students to add some other ways they know that kids their age handle difficulties. Sleeping too much Taking drugs ‘Taking to a counselor Drinking Shopping Being alone Blaming others Drawing Ignoring others Writing in a journal Running Watch TV Finish the Sentence Going on the internet Play video games Eating Self-injuring, Think of hurting themselves Other Have the child /adolescent finish the following sentences. Encourage him/her to respond according to how he/she usually feels in each situation. Then have students place a check next to the situations that bothers them the most, Have students share which responses they have in common. Also, have students talk about the reasons for their responses. Toa WAP vei rE Finish the Sentence Directions: Finish the following sentences. I feel happiest when Iam disappointed when When I’m depressed I usually I feel sad when When I’m alone I Kids my age see me as Adults see me as Isee myself as Sia Te PME CPE AFIVE CFP AFF eIre itive-Behavioral as Looking Back Answer the following question. Then share your responses with another person and how you hope to achieve the three things you mentioned below. Then, have the child /adolescent draw a picture of what he/she hopes to accomplish in the future. When I am old, what are 3 things I want people to say about my life? What I hope to accomplish in the future: aa 43 FUE CPEAFIWVE CFP AFECIES MNS OSnitive-Behavioral Teaching Resiliency To be resilient is the ability to spring back or recover quickly from a difficulty. This important characteristic has helped many people overcome great challenges in their lives. Children / Adolescents need to learn how to be resilient. Here is a list of activities to do with children / adolescents that can teach resiliency creatively. After each activity ask the child /adolescent to share a time when he/she was resilient and how it was similar to the If the child /adolescent cannot think of a time he /she was resilient have him/her describe ways that other people they know show how they are resilient, Some of these activities can be found in the book, 201 Amazing Mind Bogglers That Can Be Used To Teach Kids Critical Lessons About Learning & Life by Dr. Robert Bowman. (available through YouthLight, Inc.) An Ant Mound Metaphor (no matter how much their mound is disturbed or destroyed the ant army never gives up and will keep repairing their mound) Paper Float (take a piece of paper and float it on top of a tub of water; now lay coins {which can represent worries a child may have} on top of the paper, keep adding more coins; the paper stays resilient and keeps the coins afloat) Pepper & Water trick (Gill a bow! with regular water and sprinkle pepper on top; then, dip your finger ina little soap detergent and touch the water with your finger and you will see all the pepper scatter to the sides of the bow!) Human Spring (have two people stand with hands facing each other; have them lean slightly towards each other touching only their hands; as one person pushes the other person springs back) Video Games (hate to admit it, but kids can learn how to be resilient from video games since their game character will lose many times before it can move ahead and accomplish the next level) FUE CPE AFIVE CEP AFEeCIESC mitive-Behavioral * The Road To Recovery Have the child /adolescent find others who have overcome great difficulties in their life. ‘Ask him /her to interview the person and write down what strategies he/she used to overcome their challenges. Then, ask how he/she can use this information to help make his/her life better. Optional: The child /adolescent can draw a picture of a toad that represents their life. Along the way challenges may come (students can describe some fears or difficulties they may encounter and write these on the side of the road) Then, have him/her write some of the strategies for overcoming these challenges on the road where he/she will need to pass in order to move ahead. Support Systems All people need the support of caring individuals who will take time to listen and know who to go to for special assistance. Students, especially, need to have a list of whom they could go to if ever faced with a difficult situation. Have the child /adolescent complete the worksheet on the next page to learn who is in their personal support system. Help Box Have a box available in the back of the classroom or in the guidance office. Make it a place that is inconspicuous. Encourage students to write their concerns on paper and drop it in the box. Have the boxes checked daily for any concerns that may be potentially dangerous. The concem can be addressed to the class if it is not specific and will in any way identify the student. The concerns that are more personal can be addressed with the individual student or referred to the school guidance counselor, If you find that students are afraid to leave messages in the box you may want to include some of your own based on problems that you know already exist at the school. Te NN WAR) OD 92 My Personal Support System Directions: Write down the names of people you trust who you could go to in the following situations. Who would you go to if... you needed help with math? you had trouble with a student who was bullying you after school? you had problems with a boyfriend/girlfriend? you were having trouble at home? you felt that nobody liked you? you felt sad and depressed a lot? PME CPE AFIVE CEP AFEerc itive-Behavioral * A Second Wind Patience is an important characteristic when you are sad. You hear many people say, “time will heal.” There is some truth to that. When we are patient we can think more clearly and not jump to conclusions. Use a sailboat as a way to illustrate this. When a sailboat has no wind it cannot move. It has to wait for the next gust of wind before it can move ahead. Just like the sailboat we need to wait at times in our own life before getting a second wind (ideas or / energy to move on) to help us carry on. Ask students to think of times where they had to be patient. Ask, “what was the outcome of being patient?” “This Too Shall Pass” Read this quote by Norman Vincent Peal. Have the child /adolescent share what he/she thinks this quote means. Then, have him /her brainstorm some problems he /she encountered as a young child. Ask, “how did these problems changed?” Ask the child / adolescent if they ever thought they could get past it, Especially when it comes to a personal loss, it is hard to imagine our life going on because of the deep pain we are experiencing. Have the child /adolescent share what helped his/her situation change or get better. Be An Encourager Identify 2-3 students who are positive encouragers and helpers. Provide a special, extra credit project for the class that can be done in groups. Strategically place the sad /depressed student in this group. Be sure the assignment for that group is related to some area that the sad / depressed child /adolescent has knowledge of or has a special interest in so that he/she can be a major contributor to the group. TT PME CREATIVE CFR AFECIES tive-Behavioral Youth Helping Youth Identify a younger student who is in need of a “buddy” or “helper” to help him/her deal with sadness or depression. Have the older student meet with the younger student once a week to encourage and motivate him/her to try some strategies in this book. The first one could be Strategy #33, Strength Coaching. A good resource for peer helping training is the National Association of Peer Programs. Time Machine Ask the child /adolescent to draw a picture of his/her own time machine. Then, have him/her to write on the time machine four successes he / she will have in five years from now, Tell him/her to think of anything he/she will have accomplished or finished by then. Discuss with the child /adolescent what will need to happen in order for these successes to happen. Have him/her to keep the picture of the time machine on the wall near his /her bed so he/she can be reminded of what to look forward to in the future. How Do You Spell SUCCESS? Ask the child / adolescent to describe what success means to him/her by using the letters in the word SUCCESS (see next page). Talk about how success is more than just having lots of money, fame or good grades. Then, ask him/her to share what words he/she came up with and why. DD eel WAFL eee DUCES Directions: Describe what success means to you by using the letters in the word SUCCESS. S HnnNnmMANnCG 49 PLE CPE AFIVE CFP AFECIEC itive-Behavioral as How Do You See Success? Discuss how success is defined by how you personally see it. Talk about how success can be seen as Achievements or success can be described as Survival Characteristics. Have the child /adolescent take each word from Strategy #52 and tell whether it is an achievement or a characteristic. Have him /her draw a picture of how this success would look with him /her in the picture. Ask him /her to share the drawings and then place a star near the one that is his/her favorite. Then, ask how he/she can see that success really happen in his/her life. A Rainbow of Hope Ask the child /adolescent to draw and color a picture of a rainbow. On each color have him/her write five “I hope that I will” statements about his /her situation. For example, I hope that I will find a new friend this week at school. Ask the child / adolescent to share these statements with you. Discuss how these statements can be helpful and ask him/her to choose one statement each week and write out steps that he/she will take to make his/her statement of hope a reality. Who Am 1? Play the Who Am I game with the student(s) and see if they can guess who the famous person is by reading the description, All these famous people experienced hardship in their personal life but went on to be a success. You can find others who are more current and recognizable to the student(s). You can have students) research each person and write about how he/she overcame his/her problem. The student(s) could also go on the intemet to find information (with supervision). Discuss together how each person dealt with their situation. Talk about where that person would be today if he/she did nothing. Also talk about what would have happened if he/she did not believe there was a way to overcome the situation. Answers: 1.Thomas Edison, 2. Jim Carey, 3. Michael Jordan, 4. Oprah Winfrey, 5. Helen Keller Saree ee SUC roo Directions: Read the descriptions and write the person‘s name in the box. . He was told by his teachers that he was too “stupid” to learn anything, Later, he repeatedly made more than 3,000 mistakes on his way to become one of the greatest inventors of our lifetime, Eventually he held 1,093 patents. Who Am 1? x He was discouraged as a teenager. He dropped out of school in the ninth grade. His family was so poor they lived in a camper and a tent. Later, he became the first comedian to earn twenty million dollars for appearing in a single film. Who Am 1? » . He was cut from his high school basketball team. Later, his accomplishments inspired several prominent sports writers to declare him the best pro-basketball player ever. Who Am I? e She suffered many drawbacks as a child because she was emotionally and physically abused. Yet, she became the first African American woman to host a nationally syndicated weekday talk show and to own her own television and film distribution company. Who Am 1? a . At 19 months old she was stricken with a severe illness which left her blind and deaf. Without being able to see, hear or speak she became very angry. Through touch she learned how to read Braille at the age of 10. When she was 16 she could speak well enough to attend college. She lectured in more than 25 countries and dedicated her life to improving the conditions of blind and the deaf-blind around the world. Who Am I? TOP FM CPEATFIVE CFP AFECIES itive-Behavioral Special Encouragement Everyone needs encouragement from time to time. Identify a special trait of the child /adolescent and use that trait to brighten his/her day. Involve this student in something that could utilize his/her personal abilities. Here are some examples (can be done at any grade level): Artistic — Ask the child/ adolescent to draw a picture to use in the center of a classroom collage. If the topic of the collage is “Animals,” have him/her draw an animal. Be sure the “artist’s name” is on the picture and point out how special his/her drawing is in the collage. Leader — Ask the child/ adolescent to show a new student around the school. Have him /her write out some questions he/she can ask the new student while taking him/her around the school. Caring — Invite this student to be a peer listener or mentor to a younger student. Academically Gifted — Ask this student to help tutor other students. A Personal Strength Symbol Ask the child /adolescent to name five personal strengths that he/she has. Discuss how these strengths have helped him /her during difficult times. Now ask the child /adolescent to think of a symbol or metaphor that reminds him /her of his/her personal strengths. Then, help find something small enough that he/she can carry around as a symbol of that strength. Ask him/her how having this symbol can help encourage him/her when facing challenges and difficulties in his /her life. Award Yourself Ask the child /adolescent if he/she ever received an award. Then, ask him/her to think of an award he/she would want to receive. Have him /her create this award with either a computer generated program or by using certificate paper. Then, ask him/her to share his/her award with you or other students. Ask what the award would be and what makes this award so special to him /her. Then ask him /her if he/she could actually receive this award someday and if so, what would it take? Also, ask if he/she knows anyone who has received this award. Have the child adolescent interview this person about what it was like to receive this aw UE CPEAFIVE CFP AFECIEC ep eee Wisdom From Elders Have the child /adolescent interview several members of their family like a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or an older sibling. Ask them to share how they have dealt with depression and what strategies they used to help them during difficult times. Have the child /adolescent write these strategies down and look for similarities. Explain to the child /adolescent that many times families share similar patterns of behavior, If several people interviewed said the same thing it may mean that it is a family trait that has probably been passed down through the family. Discuss whether these traits are healthy or unhealthy ways of dealing with depressed feelings. Then, have him /her decide which of these traits he/she wants to use. Famous People Who Were Depressed Have the child adolescent choose an autobiography to read about someone famous who experienced depression. Have the student read the story and then write up a summary that includes; who, what; where, when, and how: Then, have the child /adolescent share this summary with you or another student. Discussion Questions: What was the reason this person became depressed? How did the character in the story overcome his/her depression? What message was communicated throughout the story? What did you learn from reading this autobiography? Here is a list of possible autobiographies that students may want to read or have them select a different one on their own FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO WERE DEPRESSED. Thomas Edison Queen Elizabeth I of Dolly Parton Drew Barrymore England Winona Ryder Ludwig von Beethoven Emest Hemingway Darryl Strawberry Barbara Bush Michelangelo Mike Tyson Scott Donie Alanis Morissette Robin Williams Jim Carrey Axl Rose Kurt Cobain Source: http://

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