When your child is born, one of the first things that you think of is that you want them to be happy. It can be hard to see them go from being a cheerful child to someone in discomfort with the world around them. According to SAMHSA, roughly half of the time, a child will show signs of a mental health disorder before they turn 14. Once they do, then it becomes a matter of managing and treating it. How do you do that? Here are some ways:
Knowing the Types of Mental Illness
There are several mental disorders that children can develop. They include anxiety, ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), autism, eating disorders, depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia. These can show up in different ways, and it’s important to have a professional diagnose them. Once you and your child know what is happening, then it’s a matter of treating it. Here are two ways:
Trying Out Psychotherapy
One of the most effective ways to do periodic child wellness checks can be to have them talk to a psychotherapist. By doing this, they can explore how they feel, whether there are certain triggers that cause them to do something, and how they can cope and calm themselves down if they feel like an episode of something is starting. The sessions will essentially be building blocks to help them set up a strong mental foundation. This can work in conjunction with medication, or it can be stand-alone.
Prescribing Medication
There are a lot of different medications that can help your child with their mental illness. They range from being mild – just enough to allow them to do something like concentrate in school, for example – or much more potent. While it may be the first thing that some use, it’s typically the last resort. There may be a lot of trial and error until they find the right medication at the correct dosage.
These two things, combined with child wellness checks, can help give your child a much better quality of life when confronted with symptoms of mental illness. It’s important to pay attention to their moods. It may be tough at times to make the right call for your child, but they will usually thank you later.
One major part of making sure your child’s mental health is where it should be is to have child wellness checks. We take each of our patient’s mental health very seriously and can help you find any professionals that offer specialized care we may not provide. Please contact Pediatrix for more information or to schedule an appointment for your child.
Posted: September 18th, 2023
