How to Help your Child
with a Mood Disorder

Children’s innocence and love of fun make them a joy to have around. They can light up your world and give you a reason to smile. Occasional tantrums are nothing to fuss or worry about— all children exhibit moodiness every now and then. However, if their meltdowns are more of a rule than an exception, it is a different story. Pay attention—these can be signs of a mood disorder.

A mood disorder can strip the joy from your child’s young life. It can deter them from achieving and maximizing their potentials. If it goes unrecognized and untreated, the disorder can follow your child through adolescence and into adulthood. However, if you seek treatment, the symptoms can be managed by a mental health professional.

Is your child burdened with a mood disorder? To be able to help your child, you need to understand mood disorders among children. Here are some facts for you to ponder.

What Are They?

Mood disorders are a group of emotional conditions characterized by mood changes. They are also called “affective disorders.” Mood disorders encompass all forms of depression and bipolar disorder. According to Mental Health America, mood disorders in children and adults specifically include “major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder (mania—euphoric, hyperactive, over inflated ego, unrealistic optimism), persistent depressive disorder (long lasting, low grade depression), cyclothymia (a mild form of bipolar disorder), and SAD (seasonal affective disorder).”

Prevalence

Based on a survey and estimate made by the National Institute of Mental Health, around 3.7 percent of children and teens have mood disorders. Other studies show that about 15 to 18 percent of them experience an episode before reaching adulthood or age 18.

Causes and Triggers

The actual causes and triggers of mood disorders are not clear. It is now widely held that these conditions involve biological, psychological, and genetic components working together. According to PsychGuides, “the most enduring theories involve neurotransmitters, which are chemicals in the brain, causing an imbalance that leads to depression.”

If a mood disorder runs in the family, know that its expression can be triggered by environmental factors, such as traumatic life events, major life challenges, and life-changing transitions. It may also be induced by or co-occur with substance abuse, anxiety, and other serious mental health issues.

Signs, Symptoms, and Red Flags

The signs and symptoms of mood disorders in children are sometimes difficult to recognize. Young children may be unable to verbalize their feelings, and symptoms also vary depending on the age of the child, their personality, their biological makeup, their environment, the severity of the symptoms, and the kind of mood issue they have.

If you fail to recognize the symptoms, they will go undiagnosed and untreated. This makes noticing warning signs and red flags critical. These can lead to successful diagnosis and treatment of the condition in its early stages. Prompt action can prevent it from getting worse and following your child into adolescence and adulthood.

How do you know if your child needs professional help? Stanford Children’s Health offers these emotional and physical symptoms of mood disorders:

  • Persistent feelings of sadness
  • Feeling hopeless or helpless
  • Having low self-esteem
  • Feeling inadequate
  • Excessive guilt
  • Feelings of wanting to die
  • Loss of interest in usual activities or activities once enjoyed
  • Difficulty with relationships
  • Sleep disturbances (for example, insomnia, or hypersomnia)
  • Changes in appetite or weight
  • Decreased energy
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • A decrease in the ability to make decisions
  • Suicidal thoughts or attempts
  • Frequent physical complaints (for example, headache, stomachache, or fatigue)
  • Running away or threats of running away from home
  • Hypersensitivity to failure or rejection
  • Irritability, hostility, aggression

Remember that your child’s symptoms may be different. This is why it is best to seek professional help to get your child’s symptoms evaluated properly.

The Outlook

The rate of undiagnosed and untreated mood conditions among children and teens is quite high. This underscores the importance of paying attention to their behavior in order to help them early on. With timely recognition of symptoms and their evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment, a mood condition can be successfully managed. Healthline says, “With appropriate and long-term treatment, the recovery outlook for affective disorder is good.” Even in a severe case, it is possible for your child to have a normal and happy life.

Counseling Offers a Way Out

If your child is carrying the gene for a mood disorder, the value of counseling as a proactive intervention can’t be underestimated. It can be what will stand between your child and a wretched life. If your child has experienced a trauma, counseling can prevent it from triggering a potential episode of a mood disorder. While mood disorders are not pleasant, be thankful that they are treatable, and you can be helped by an expert independent therapist contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC.

Life can be both beautiful and distressing. For most children, it is colorful and wonderful, unless they are weighed down by an emotional or mood condition. Don’t let your child live in a dull, “gray” world—there are so many opportunities they can miss out on with an untreated mood disorder. Let  Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC, work with you to help your child live a good life with optimism and happiness.

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