Parenting is not everyone’s cup of tea. Especially when you become a parent for the first time. What you need to understand is, your child doesn’t need a doctor only when he is sick. There are other health issues not usually physical which might need psychiatric evaluation and guidance. Whether your baby is a toddler, in primary or high school, there may come a time when he may suffer from mood swings and behavioral problems. It is common for kids to face occasional problems while experiencing new circumstances at play, school and at home. Like adults, even children have bouts of mood swings characterized by anger, fear, sadness, and irritation. Often these emotions goes off after a certain period of time. But if you see your child’s emotional ups and downs show no sign of going away, it may be time to consult a child psychologist.
Most of the parents often shrug off the idea of taking their child for therapy. Rather they choose to consult with other parents, grandma, and close family members. This is perfectly fine, but if you see your child’s behaviors and daily habits changed drastically it’s better to consult a professional rather than taking generic advice. When it comes to your child’s growing emotional or social behavioral challenges and a probable mental issue, the sooner you get an expert medical care the better.
If your child is showing two or more signs of emotional disturbance given below, probably its best to take help of a child psychologist.
- When your child is extremely unhappy or moody for long periods
- Your child bullies and picks fight with other kids in the neighborhood or school
- Everything upsets or frighten him very fast
- When your child’s aggressive behaviors and tantrums disturb your normal family life
- Your child tries to harm himself or threatens to do so
- He becomes overtly depressed over small changes
- ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and bipolar disorder
- Eating disorder -- eating too less or too much, and carving for non-edible items e.g. paper, chalk, dirt, mud
- Social withdrawal
- Unable to keep pace with learning activities
- Doing same activity over and over again
- Schizophrenic behaviors
- Bed wetting
- Lack of sleep or keep sleeping for longer time
Always understand your child first, talk and listen to him and try to know what bothers him. Also identify the warning signs early, because getting medical attention can help him recover quickly. Not all symptoms can be treated completely, some tends to last for a lifetime. But when you see sudden extreme changes in your child, take him to a certified child psychologist. With an expert advice, your child can overcome the problems he is facing and manage to live a better and happier life.
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