Understanding the Warning Signs of Poor Mental Health in Children and How to Help

Spread the love

Mental health in children is a huge topic, and it’s important to understand the potential difficulties your kids might be facing. Children and adolescents live in a world that is changing faster than ever before. When the outside world changes, the risk of mental health disorders in kids increases.

Mental illnesses in kids are not just bad moods. It is when a child suffers from a range of mental health disorders, which could be depression, anxiety, eating disorders, or others. There are many warning signs of poor mental health in kids. Young children and teenagers who experience maltreatment in the home, bullying, or generalized anxiety are more likely to have mental health issues, according to Psychology Today.

In this article, we’ll explore mental health disorders in children and how parents can help them.

What are the most common mental health issues in children?

Though difficult to diagnose, it is estimated that up to 1 in 5 children suffer from a mental health condition. There are five different major categories of mental health disorders, and each one has different symptoms which is why it’s important to understand how they can affect children. The most common childhood mental health issues include depression, anxiety, ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). Depression is the single most common mental health disorder in children and adolescents. It’s estimated that roughly 1 out of every 6 children and teens struggle with depression, with girls being twice as likely to struggle with the condition than boys.

If your child is exhibiting symptoms, they will likely display one of these warning signs:

Abnormally low mood
Loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed
Significantly more irritable than usual
Loss of appetite or overeating
Greater difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
Crying for no apparent reason
Low self-esteem, or feelings of worthlessness or guilt
Frequent complaints about physical symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, and stomach aches
Avoidance of friends, family members, or activities they typically enjoy
Thoughts of suicide, death, or hopelessness

It is important to note that depression can look different in teens than it does in younger kids.

How can these mental health issues be treated?

It’s important to know that issues of mental health in children are treatable. There are many different types of interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, and art therapy. As the child gets older, other treatments may become more appropriate such as medication. Mental health issues in children are common and treatable. It’s easy to be overwhelmed, but with the right information, you can start the right path to help your child.

How can we prevent these mental health issues?

The best way to prevent mental health problems in children is by parenting better. When parents are reliable and empathetic, their children will feel less anxious and stressed. In addition, being around nice people will also help children develop good social skills and self-esteem. In order to help your child develop good mental health, you need to be a good role model. Your positive attitude and an optimistic outlook are what they need to develop mental strength.

How can we maintain good mental health in children?

In order to maintain good mental health, you have to do a few things. First, you have to be calm with your children. Meditation is a great way for you to relax and strengthen your mind. It will help you be calmer and more positive. Also, this will set an example for your kids and you can encourage them to practice this as well. In addition, talking to your child about their worries will also help them develop better mental health. Even simple conversations can help them feel better and stronger. Discussing your worries with them will give them a good example of how to handle stress.

How can parents help?

Parents should be aware of the potential mental health issues their children may be dealing with. If you suspect your child has a mental health issue, talk to them about it. Find out what they’re dealing with and help them work through it. If you do need to get them professional help, be supportive. It will not go away on its own and the sooner they get help, the better.

Do not dismiss their feelings as mood swings or bad temperament and attitude. It need not always be so. Try to get them to reason out their behaviour and what triggered them. Accept their emotional outbursts as a valid exhibition of their emotions. Belittling them for crying or getting angry at them does not set the right precedent. It is always better to discuss and help them vent out what they feel than to make them bottle up their emotions.

Make sure they are in the right environment and surrounded by the right people. Bullies at school, unempathetic teachers, bad academic performance, puberty, and peer pressure can all affect them mentally so it is important to know what is happening in their lives and if anything is impacting them negatively.

Conclusion

The five most common mental health issues seen in childhood are depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, and OCD. All children experience these emotions at different intensities. It is important to help your child to understand that it’s not their fault and to provide them with the tools they’ll need for coping. If you or your child is experiencing any of these problems, please reach out to a mental health professional.

Also Read by Infano– Parenting Tips: Ways To Address Smartphone Addiction In Teeager

Spread the love

Just like you have your daily CTM skin routine or oiling the hair routine every week, it is also important to take care of your breasts regularly. is important to also take care of your breasts regularly. Breast changes should seek more attention than the notifications on your phone. Regular self-examination of your breasts is the best way to detect breast cancers and catch them early. If breast cancer is caught early is treated more successfully.

Here are 4 easy steps to do a self breast exam

1. Stand in front of a mirror, place your hands on your hips and look at your breasts for their usual size, shape, and color. Look for any uneven shape, visible distortion or swelling. Look out for these:

· Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin

· Nipple has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)

· Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling

· Any fluid discharge coming from one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).

Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.

2. Using your right hand feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Do this lying down. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Check the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side in a circular motion. Start from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.

3. Follow a same pattern throughout. Start at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast and then move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows. Feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you’ve reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.

4. Now feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. The easiest way to feel the breasts is when the skin is wet and slippery, so you can do this in the shower. Cover your entire breast, and repeat step 3.

What to do if you find an abnormality?

Do not panic if you think you feel a lump in your breast. Get in touch with your doctor if you’ve noticed a lump or other breast change that is mentioned above. Most women may have some lumps or lumpy areas in their breasts and most turn out to be benign (not breast cancer). Non-cancerous breast lumps may be caused due to hormonal changes, a benign breast condition, or an injury.

Also, there are changes in the breasts throughout the menstrual cycle: breasts may seem to get bigger or more prominent in some way. Menstruators may want to wait until after your period to see if the lump or other breast change disappears on its own before calling your doctor.

The doctor may do a physical exam of the breasts and may ask for breast cancer imaging tests. Both an ultrasound and a mammogram are typically recommended to evaluate a lump in women who are over age 30 and not pregnant or breastfeeding. Further tests may include additional imaging with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), MBI (molecular breast imaging), and/or a biopsy if required.

It is important to make sure to get an explanation of the cause of the lump or breast change from your doctor, and, if necessary, a plan for monitoring it or treating it. Don’t hesitate to get a second opinion if you are not comfortable or satisfied with the doctor.

How often should one do breast self-exam

Do breast self-examination once a month to familiarize yourself with how your breasts normally look and feel especially after your period ends, when your breasts are least likely to be swollen and tender. If you don’t menstruate, choose a day that’s easy to remember and follow it every month. The upper, outer area around the armpits has the most prominent lumps and bumps.

Record the findings of your breast self-exams in a diary as this may help you remember, every month what is “normal” for your breasts. Lumps may appear at certain times of the month and disappear as your body changes with the menstrual cycle (if you are still menstruating).

Source: breastcancer.org