This week’s Geeks Vs Loneliness has been inspired by the outstanding work of The Blurt Foundation, and a post Tweeted from its account earlier this week. It’s not a new post, as it turns out, but it is an important one. It’s entitled ‘a letter to parents who have a child with depression’. The key points, therefore, that we took out of Blurt’s post and want to reiterate here: • It’s nobody’s fault. It’s not down to you, it’s not down to your child. You wouldn’t blame anyone – at least with any real conviction – if someone got a cold. The same rules should apply with depression. • You need to look after yourself. This is advice that’s not exclusive to what we’re talking about here, but it’s relevant. You can’t support or help someone else if you don’t take care of yourself too. Caring for someone else can cause you to sacrifice your own needs, but thinking practically, what if they also need you in ten years’ time, and by then your own health has suffered? Try to think long term, and make sure you find room for you. • Give your child a hug. We know we don’t need to tell you this bit, but you’re both still the same people.
