Psychiatric Disorders That Kids Can Have and How to Manage Them
Managing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
It can come as a surprise to many parents who may wonder whether it is possible, or even desirable, to classify psychiatric disorders in preschool children. But let’s face it, there is a possibility that your child may be suffering from a psychiatric disorder.
There is always a mandate for every parent to study the emotional and behavioral changes that your child is experiencing right from his/her toddler stage.
You need to look out for anything that is abnormal about how a child behaves or perceives things. In case of any behavioral changes following a traumatic event, then its best to seek early medical attention. The child may have a mental health condition, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Worrying Behaviors to look out for in Children
The behaviors in children that you need to look out for, that may indicate an underlying psychiatric condition, include changes in:-
- eating habits
- sleeping habits
- anxiety issues
- relationship issues
- addictive behaviors
- health issues
A comprehensive study need to be carried out if your child exhibits any of the above behaviors before you can rule out an underlying psychiatric condition. If you fail to recognize some of the early warning signs, your child may feel isolated and misunderstood. Children can also become irritable and difficult.
Early Psychiatric Medical Attention Can Enable Children to Lead a Normal Life
My nephew was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD (OCD) when he was only 9 years old (this is very early with the average age of diagnosis around 19). The condition was frightening to him, so it was very important to provide him with all the support necessary for him to overcome his distress.
Medics believe that an imbalance of the neurotransmitter Serotonin may be the cause of OCD. Serotonin is responsible for reactions to emotional stimuli such as happiness, sadness, fear etc. This explains why a child suffering from OCD can have feelings of isolation and being overwhelmed.
What tends to happen in OCD is that there is an overreaction to stimuli creating an obsession for an activity. The obsession can negatively affect a patient because they feel the need to repeatedly do the same tasks to negate the impulse.
Indeed, OCD can have a devastating effect on children’s lives.
Here I was with a 9 year old nephew who constantly feared the imminent death of his younger sister. He was so obsessed with his thoughts that he always ensured that his sister was close to him. Moreover, there were times that he would sneak out of his class, to go to his sisters class to ensure that she was well. Furthermore, it was really becoming hard for him to concentrate without seeing his sister. Obviously, my nephew’s behviour also had a large impact on his sister.
Treatment for OCD
Luckily, if detected early, the condition is treatable and this can also allow a patient to lead a normal life. So, we took my nephew to see a psychiatrist specializing in OCD and he prescribed medication. My nephew also began seeing a child psychologist for psychotherapy. Indeed behavioural therapy can be very helpful in children with OCD.
The professional care and treatment helped my nephew’s symptoms of OCD a lot. In addition, the psychologist helped him increase his self esteem. The reason this is important is because there is always the fear that the symptoms may recur in time if he feels inadequate in any way.
So, in conclusion, always be on the lookout for strange behaviors in your child. If you do notice anything out of the ordinary, try not to worry but do go for a medical assessment as soon as possible.
A Few more Posts on Anxiety Disorders
- Anxiety or Panic Attacks: A more detailed look at panic attacks, what they are and what you can do to stop them.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): An in-depth, research based look at this anxiety disorder.
- Bipolar Disorder: Separating the facts from the fiction.
- Specific Phobias, social phobia and agarophobia.
- Top 5 Natural Remedies for Anxiety
- Bizarre Anxiety Symptoms: Find out some of the more rare symptoms of anxiety.
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