How canyou tell if a child is suffering from a mental disorder?

Question

I hear so many parents saying their children are depressed or bi polar and stuff, what makes them think that? I just though children were always happy one minute and sad the next. I thought all children threw fits everytime things didn't go their way. Is it something more than that? And what did they do for children like that back in the 50's and 60's? I understand that some children are born with something wrong with them, but a child being clinically depressed? Why?

Answer 1

Yeah back in the 50s and the 60s I'm pretty sure they got a lot more attention and/or discipline then the current era.. Since so many parents have jobs currently they don't give their kids attention that they need..

Usually their kids will just be at the day care until 6pm when the parents come and pick them up, and off to bed at 8...

Also the world is a lot more polluted, the world wasn't always with genetic defects... Or they didn't have as much genetic defects as we do now with all the chemical and environmental pollution.. Quite sad, it seems that we're killing our own selves.. So much for survival of the fittest..

Answer 2

In the 50's and 60's children with mental illness suffered greatly because it was not believed that they could have such a thing. It's only in the past 10 or 20 years that research of repeatedly shown that even very young children can develop mood disorders. Now they know bipolar is a biologically based illness and that it is not unusual for it to begin in childhood. When a person has early-onset bipolar, it is usually harder to treat and more intense. Children show symptoms differently than adults do.
It is not a curable illness, bipolar lasts forever. The earlier intervention is begun, however, the better the prognosis.


A bipolar child does not just throw fits like your average child. The intensity, triggers, and duration are much more severe. A bipolar child may scream and cry uncontrollably for a three hour stretch from a minor trigger. When a child has a brain disorder, it is definitely different than average childhood behavior. It disrupts/effects pretty much everything and everyone in their world.

In general, a person is not going to claim their child has a neurological disorder when they do not. It is far too stigmatizing. People that don't understand (much of the general population) are far too judgmental. If someone tells you their child is suffering from a mood disorder, you can be fairly certain that this person is dealing with a serious situation with their child and they should be given credit for not being in denial and sticking their heads in the sand when their child NEEDS help.

For more info, try the books The Bipolar Child and If Your Child Is Bipolar. The first is written by professionals, the second is written by and for parents and is an easier read.

Answer 3

For children like that in the 50's and 60's they got spanked. Therefore they got attention from their parents. Therefore they knew they were loved.
Children need attention. If they don't get enough, they find ways to get attention. Some children act out to get it.
As far as being mentally ill in some way...if they actually have a chemical imbalance, or bi-polar, I feel a lot of that is because of the toxic environment that we live in today, either tranferred in utero, or acquired in their environment.

Answer 4

I'm not too sure but I do know this: When I was a child I very rarely threw a fit so not all children are like that.

Answer 5

Ask your pediatrician who does evaluations for special needs children. My son is mild to moderate autistic and I didn't know it until last year. The school caught it first. United way is also very helpful for info on phone numbers you can use. I hope I have been a little help.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Parents excusing themselves from involvement in parenting. If the child is an uncontrollable problem then medical attention and evaluation is available at the time. Yet what I see and am aware of, is lack of parental responsibility--their lack of ability to disciple and direct//takes too much of their time.

Answer 8

This might be helpful
http://sensitive-psychoworld.blogspot.com/