What are Depression & Anxiety?

There is a desperate and growing need in NZ for children to understand what depression and anxiety are and why these feelings occur.

A lack of understanding is leading many desperate parents to resort to medicating children with antidepressants. The latest data shows in 2021 at least 160,326 prescriptions of antidepressants have been issued to young people under the age of 19 including 27 prescriptions to infants under the age of 4. The latest science tells us, apart from very rare cases depression and anxiety are simply a natural reaction to the day-to-day traumas we inevitably face in life.

Traumas can be anything from moving country to breakdown and family dynamics ( parents separating) The death of a favourite pet, or the loss of a grandparent. It is indeed a very unforgiving world and every one of us carries the memories of our past in some way, shape or form.

This short animation was made with the oversight of a child psychiatrist and counsellors. It presents these emotions in a way that removes the stigma and brings about clarity for the child so that when he or she does inevitably feel these feelings, they can see it as a normal part of life.

We have created this animation for young children with the aim that its reassurance will reduce the likelihood of the child experiencing feelings of confusion and self-hatred which if left unchecked sadly can lead to self-harm and self-destruction in later life.