8 to 13 years old

Between the ages of 8 and 13 we model our parents and other people that we admire (like friends, cartoon characters, pop or film stars). We may want to be a hero but we will probably look at ourselves critically and decide that we do not really fit in with everyone else.

On occasions it may seem that everybody else is happy, relaxed and comfortable with the world but we are left on the sideline. We don’t have the right look; we don’t know the right things. We are just different!

So we must, somehow, be abnormal!

However, as everybody feels like this sometimes then it must be normal to have these feelings. Therefore we are “normally abnormal”.

Many depressions at this age are caused by the child suffering in silence. Their model of the universe precludes them from discussing specific worries they may have. This rule could have been created from a moment when discussing feelings ended in an upset. Teasing, for instance, by a number of people; being the butt of the joke or rumor. So, from that moment forward, they never try to discuss their feelings.