The existential concerns of children with great talent

Every person, in the face of an important vital crisis, can suffer the so -called "existential depression". When we face great vital losses (health, loved ones, work, etc.) We are more inclined to reconsider the meaning of life, what is and what is not important, for example. However, children with high capacities or gifted, usually suffer from these existential crises in a spontaneous way, for no reason that initiates them.

According to Irvin David Yalom, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University and Psychotherapist, existential depression occurs when the person raises certain basic issues about their own existence: concerns about death, freedom, isolation and lack of meaning:

• The death: An inevitable fact.
• The freedom: Are we really free in our society? Where does the person's freedom begin and end?
• He isolation: Here it is questioned that no matter how close we are from someone, there is always an abyss between them, and we are actually alone.
• The lack of meaning: This concern actually derives from the other three. If we have to die, if we build our own world and each one of us we are alone, then what does life make?

According to Yalom, one of the great paradoxes of life lies in the fact that becoming aware of oneself causes anxiety. And we imagine for a moment human existence without any thought about death. Life would lose part of its intensity and impoverish. Only in this way we get in touch with the creation of ours.

Apparently children with high capacities are more likely to suffer a type of depression called "existential depression"

But this positive role of death is difficult to accept. Although in general, we consider it as a terrible evil, that any opposite opinion seems even in bad taste.

Why do existential questions appear before in great talent?

Apparently children with high capacities have a deeper level of reflection and abstract thinking, and often instead of focusing on the surface aspects of everyday life Bathing approaches are made than other companions of their age. They are able to take into account the possibilities of how things could be and are very idealistic. It is for this reason that it is not surprising that they suffer from higher levels of frustration and disappointment when they realize that the world is not what they would like to be or when their ideals are truncated. They also detect more quickly the inconsistencies or absurdities of society and the arbitrary behaviors of those around them.

In addition, when these children try to share their concerns, they usually find perplexity or even hostility reactions among their peers. They discover that other children of their age do not have their same concerns, which makes them feel different, which is why they tend to isolate themselves.

Children with great talent also usually feel frustration after discovering these existential limitations of death, freedom and lack of sense of life. The normal reaction can be anger. But soon they discover that their anger is useless, so it quickly evolves towards the so -called existential depression.

Accepting and assuming our own death is always more than difficult and we cannot lie to these kids, it is an inevitable part of one's life. However, we can help these guys feel understood and find ways to control this type of thoughts and their feeling of isolation.

It seems that touching is a great therapy. Touching the other person breaks with the feeling of isolation: a hug, a playful push or even a “collides those five” can be very important for a young man, since it establishes a physical connection with the other.

In general, having contact and enjoying a hug is not only beautiful, it is a necessity. And it shows our love and affection for someone, and Love manages to eliminate self -awareness and eradicates anxieties. In addition, scientific studies support the theory that contact stimulation is absolutely necessary for our physical and emotional well -being.

Ana Echevarría
Psychologist