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Pediatric Mental Health: Identifying Signs & Seeking Professional Help

October 30, 2019A thru Z Pediatrics

Children act out all the time and much to many parents’ surprise, the behavior is completely normal. From as early as the second year to the teenage years, aggressive behavior is often the product of an underlying problem. These problems can be anything, ranging from hunger and sleepiness to struggling in school or dealing with a traumatic event.

Understanding the Acting-Out Behavior

To differentiate between the normal behavior from the one that requires special attention, we need to take a look at the characteristic of acting out behavior, in children in school-going age. This includes: Aggressive behavior: If the aggressive behavior goes beyond small outbursts and your child engages in damaging of property or their environment, it’s a warning sign. Defiance: If the child is intentionally not listening to your instructions and instead carrying out activities that cause further disruption, it’s a warning sign. Temper Tantrums: If your child has emotional and aggressive outbursts all the time, you may need to consider an intervention. Oppositional Behavior: Your child actively lies to you and blames you or others for their mistakes and problems in daily life. Other warning signs include constant restlessness, acting out-of-place and inappropriately to the environment, disregard for implemented discipline strategies, poor performance at school, falling out with friends and physical aggression toward peers, self-harm and lack of empathy.

Consult Your Doctor

As a parent, you may feel like you’re betraying your child or you may question your own parenting, when booking an appointment; but know that there’s nothing wrong with seeking professional help. Sometimes, parents can’t understand the reasons behind the behavioral changes and need additional support for guidance. You should also keep in mind that if the acting-out behavior is seriously worrying and affecting your whole family life and your child’s social life, ignoring it may fester further physical and psychological problems. Earlier intervention can help your child get back on track and deal with their emotions in the healthiest way possible. Parents often look for apparent reasons behind the problems and fail to consider mental health issues and other health problems. So, remember that behavioral problems can result from medical conditions such as ADHD or sensory issues, so see a pediatrician as soon as possible! If you’re looking for a reliable pediatrician in San Antonio TX, get in touch with us to book an appointment.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have concerns about your child's health, call your A thru Z Pediatrics office.