Simply talking about mental health will help remove the stigma according to Covenant therapist Ashlee Bost. She says its more common than anybody knows. Bost says there are upward of 28 million children diagnosed every year.
“That can be very scary for a parent,” said Bost, “Just because a lot of parents don’t want their children to have a label.”
She says its important for parents to look out for signs including a child saying they want to hurt themselves or others, excessive worrying, anger outbursts, seeing or hearing things, lack of sleep or appetite.
“A child’s mental health really is an essential part of their over all growth. It can affect everything from their physical health, to their social skills, self esteem, their cognitive development, really every part of a child’s growth inside and outside is impacted by their mental health,” said Bost.
But how do you tell the difference between your kid being a kid, or if something else is going on?
“If it’s on going and it last for a long time, that’s when you may need to start thinking it could be something else.”
Bost says its also crucial to talk to anyone involved in your child’s life.
“Sometimes they may notice things that you haven’t or they have noticed things but just didn’t know if that was something normal for the child,” she said.
“So really communicating, you can get a better idea of if this is a normal personality or something that has really changed that you really need to pay attention to.”
Bost says the major take-home is knowing there is help. She says getting an appropriate diagnosis can help parents know how to best help the child moving forward.
