James J. Crist - What to Do When Youre Cranky & Blue. A Guide for Kids

Text copyright 2014, 2006 by James J. Crist, Ph.D.
Illustrations copyright 2006 by Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

What to Do When Youre Cranky & Blue was originally published in 2006 as What to Do When Youre Sad & Lonely.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Crist, James J.

What to do when youre cranky & blue : a guide for kids / James J. Crist, Ph.D.

pages cm

Includes index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-57542-430-9

ISBN-10: 1-57542-430-4

1. Depression in childrenPopular works. 2. Depression in adolescencePopular works. 3. Self-management (Psychology) for teenagers. I. Title.

RJ506.D4C7495 2014

618.928527dc23

2013034680

eBook ISBN: 978-1-57542-641-9

Free Spirit Publishing does not have control over or assume responsibility for author or third-party websites and their content. At the time of this books publication, all facts and figures cited within are the most current available. All telephone numbers, addresses, and website URLs are accurate and active; all publications, organizations, websites, and other resources exist as described in this book; and all have been verified as of April 2013. If you find an error or believe that a resource listed here is not as described, please contact Free Spirit Publishing. Parents, teachers, and other adults: We strongly urge you to monitor childrens use of the Internet.

The concepts, ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended as a substitute for professional help or therapy.

Reading Level Grade 5; Interest Level Ages 913; Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading Level T

Edited by Catherine Broberg and Eric Braun
Illustrated by Michael Chesworth
Cover design by Tasha Kenyon
Cover illustration Bubble86 | Dreamstime.com
Interior design by Marieka Heinlen

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I dedicate this book to all the young people Ive worked with who have struggled with cranky and blue feelings, or depression, and have learned to overcome them. I also dedicate it to my family members and friends who have dealt with depression. I admire your ability to keep going even at times when it seemed too much to bear.

Id like to thank my editors, Cathy Broberg and Eric Braun, for their help in organizing the book and making it more readable. Id like to thank Renee Burdett, M.D., for her help in understanding the medications used to treat depression and bipolar disorder in children. Thanks also to Vian Gredvig, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W.; Thomas S. Greenspon, Ph.D.; and Ginger Venable for reading and commenting on the manuscript.

This book is all about feeling grumpy, sad, or downfeelings that all kids have sometimes. Who wouldnt feel cranky or blue if their best friend moved away, or if they were being teased or bullied in school? But this doesnt mean the feelings are easy to handle, especially on your own. And thats partly why I wrote this book.

Im a psychologist, and Ive talked with many kids who had problems with grumpy, sad, and lonely feelings. They told me how their feelings made it hard for them to eat, sleep, or get along with people at home and at school. I helped these kids better understand whats going on in their lives and find healthy ways to deal with their feelings. In this book, youll learn about some of the ideas that worked for them.

But for some kids, feelings of crankiness and sadness go very deep. They may be grieving because a loved one died, or they may be trying to understand why their parents got a divorce. ( Grieving means being really sad about a loss or a difficult event.) Feelings of sadness and loneliness that dont go away can be signs of grief. They may also be symptoms of depression , an illness youll learn more about in chapters 6 and 7. Depression is a serious problem for a growing number of kids todayanother reason why I wrote this book. Whether you feel sad and alone some of the time, most of the time, or all of the time, this book can help.

In this book, youll learn about the signs of being cranky or blue and what these feelings might be telling you. More important, youll find out what you can do to help yourself feel better. Youll also discover ways to feel less down or lonely and more connected to other people in your life.

You dont have to handle grumpy, sad, or lonesome feelings all by yourself (in fact, its much healthier to talk about them). I encourage you to read this book with someone at home who takes care of you: a family grown-up such as a parent or step-parent, a foster parent, a guardian, a grandparent, or an aunt or uncle. The offers tips for adults who take care of you. Be sure to show this special section to your adult helper.

You may also need the guidance of an adult who specializes in treating kids who have problems with feeling sad and lonelyfor example a counselor, psychologist, child psychiatrist, social worker, therapist, or doctor. That may seem scary to think about, but experts like these can really help. If youre wondering what its like to get counseling, see chapter 10.

There are many other people out there who can help you as well. You might talk to your teacher, an adult neighbor you trust, or someone at your place of worship. If you want, you can talk to people your own age, too.

Part 1 of What to Do When Youre Cranky & Blue focuses on grumpy or down feelings that most kids have at one time or another.

Chapter 1 discusses the big and small things that often make kids feel cranky, lonely, or down in the dumps. It also talks about how different people react to these painful feelings.

Chapter 2 has ten Blues Busters, or coping skills you can try at home, at school, or anywhere else to help shake those sad feelings.

Chapter 3 offers written exercises that can go deeper than the Blues Busters in helping you get a handle on your feelings.