YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Children and teenagers are susceptible to anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders that cause emotional and behavioral changes. Yet parents and kids sometimes ignore the warning signs of a mood disorder. In these instances, child and teen mood disorders go unaddressed, and the symptoms associated with these disorders may continue throughout the course of a lifetime.
At Achieve Concierge, we are a leading provider of youth mental health services in San Diego, thanks in large part to our commitment to patient care. Our expert medical clinicians work with children and teens along with their parents to find safe, effective treatments for mood disorder symptoms.
Our clinicians deliver a personalized youth mental health treatment plan that accounts for a child or teen’s overall well-being. In doing so, we help kids and teens build strategies so they can cope with a broad range of mood disorder symptoms.
HOW DOES A MOOD DISORDER AFFECT A CHILD OR TEEN?
A mood disorder can cause extreme feelings of sadness in a child or teen, as well as severe mood swings. For some children and teens dealing with a mood disorder, they may also experience emotional changes, like loss of interest in activities that they once enjoyed, low self-esteem, and feelings of hopelessness and emptiness. Behavioral changes are commonly associated with child and teen mood disorders, too.
Sometimes, children and teens feel tired, have trouble sleeping, and experience weight loss or gain if they are coping with a mood disorder. Kids and teens are prone to use alcohol or drugs, feel agitated or restless, and experience slowed thinking, speaking, and body movements due to a mood disorder as well.
WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME FOR A PARENT TO EXPLORE MOOD DISORDER TREATMENT FOR A CHILD OR TEEN?
Kids and teens are often unpredictable, and may experience many ups and downs in any given day. But if a child or teen displays any symptoms of a mood disorder, there is no reason for a parent to wait to seek out medical support.
To help a child or teen who may be dealing with a mood disorder, the first step that a parent can take is to schedule a doctor’s appointment. By taking a child or teen to a doctor, he or she can receive different tests to find out if a physical illness is causing mood disorder symptoms.
If a physical illness is not identified as the cause of a child or teen’s mood disorder symptoms, a psychiatric evaluation may be performed. In this instance, a child or teen can meet with a psychiatrist. Then, the psychiatrist learns about the child or teen and his or her mood disorder symptoms.
HOW IS A MOOD DISORDER THAT AFFECTS A CHILD OR TEEN TREATED?
Medication, psychotherapy, or both may be used to help a child or teen who experiences mood disorder symptoms. In addition, alternative therapies like music or art therapy, meditation, and deep breathing and other relaxation techniques may be used as part of a mood disorder treatment program for a child or teen.
It is important to note that mood disorders in children and teens cannot be prevented, but parents can play key roles in helping kids and teens manage their mood disorder symptoms. By engaging with a child or teen and showing lots of support, a parent may help him or her cope with mood disorder symptoms.
The right treatment plan for a mood disorder depends on the child or teen, and the medical clinicians at Achieve Concierge are happy to help a patient — regardless of age — find ways to cope with mood disorder symptoms. Our youth mental health services in San Diego are comprehensive, and we work with a child or teen and his or her parents to determine which services can accommodate a patient’s needs. To learn more about our youth mental health services in San Diego or to schedule a consultation, please contact us online, or call us today at (619) 393-5871.