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By Dr. Brent Lovett, David Lawrence Centers Medical Director

The decision to seek professional help for a child can be difficult for parents. Mom and Dad are usually the first to recognize changes in behavior or emotions and may initially consult with their primary care physician, teachers, family or friends. An initial step should be discussing the observed changes with your child in a gentle and supportive manner. Talking with them may be enough to resolve some issues.

There are times however, when a child’s problems may require the assistance of a mental health professional that are beyond the scope of your pediatrician’s specialties. There are a few warning signs that may indicate a child has problems which could benefit from a mental health evaluation and possible treatment.

• Significant change in school performance and behavior which may include refusing to attend school, poor grades or frequent disruption in the classroom
• Severe and persistent anxiety that interferes with usual functioning or sleep
• Marked change in mood and attitude that may include changes in sleep, appetite, irritability, loss of interest, physical complaints and even thoughts of death.
• Intense fear of becoming obese and changes in eating habits such as restricting, binging or purging
• Abuse of alcohol or drugs
• Threats of harm to self or others
• Presence of unusual thoughts or hallucinations

Know someone who is struggling with this decision? Have them call the David Lawrence Centers at (239) 491-7602. The Center has a variety of mental health and substance use prevention, intervention and treatment programs specially designed for children and their families.