“What can I do to help my child?” As child and youth psychiatrists, this is a question we often hear from parents sitting across from us in our offices. Whether their child is struggling with anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, substance abuse or another mental illness, their concern is the same, and often accompanied by self-blame, confusion and worry. That they missed the signs. That their child inherited a family mental illness. That the choices they’ve made – a demanding job or a big move – or inevitable life events, such as divorce or loss, are the cause of their child’s distress. Read the rest of this article at The Globe and Mail…
While physical ailments such as broken bones and fevers can be frightening in the short term, it’s usually quite clear what to do. In contrast, how to handle your child’s mental health is often much less clear. If a child is skipping school, not eating or not sleeping well, or isolating themselves from friends and family, is their behaviour just a phase? Or a sign of something more serious?
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