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I think my eight-year-old son is depressed – he’s not handling our divorce well

DEAR DEIDRE: SINCE I split up with my wife and moved out a few months ago, my son has become depressed.

I’m 40, and desperately worried about him. He’s only eight.

He has angry outbursts and cries himself to sleep every night

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He was a happy lad but now he has angry outbursts and cries himself to sleep every night.

He even told me that if I don’t get back together with his mum, he will kill himself.

I was horrified – and I’m scared he’ll harm himself.

Me and his mum, who is 37, are barely on speaking terms, so it’s hard to talk to her about this. But she’s very anxious too.

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He seems to be doing OK at school. And he plays normally with his friends.

But when he’s with me at weekends, or his mum at home, he falls apart.


DEIDRE SAYS: His threats are disturbing, and it’s natural you’re worried.

He’s finding it hard to cope with the big changes to his life.

If you and your ex can put your differences aside and learn to communicate over childcare, it will provide a much more stable environment for him and help him.

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My support pack, When Parents Fall Out, explains more. Please talk to his school and to your GP.

You can also call the YoungMinds Parents Helpline (youngminds.org.uk, 0808 802 5544).