Is anyone familiar with mental illness issues and children??? My 6yo nephew has just been placed in a childrens mental institution. while I agree he needs help I'm not sure how I feel about locking such a young child up in an institution. His behavior has always been a bit "odd" displaying some classic symptoms of PDD, such as autism or aspergers. but lately his behavoir has bordered on the physcotic..killing his pets, random extreme violence at school, threats to kill others and himself, ect. This last time the school called the police to subdue him ( I guess the male teacher and counsler and principle couldn't subdue a six year old wtf???) and the officer took him to childrens services. He has been seeing a physciatrist who when called had him admitted to the ward for observation. I am worried though how this will affect him. From what I know these are not usually the nicest places to be. It is at at first rate childrens hospital (Cincy) but still, is it normal to lock up kids that young?? His parents aren't even allowed to visit him for the first 24 hours he is there, then they are confined to visiting hours only. Has anyone else ever known a child this young with such problems?????
yes, I have heard of that. And sometimes, getting the child away from the parents and the home environment for a little while is the only way for the doctors to figure out what is really going on. I hope and pray he finds the right kind of help he obviously so desperately needs.
Well, no, I haven't known a kid that young who was that violent. I understand why you're worried. Who wouldn't be? I think, though, that being in there isn't going to hurt him. It sounds like he might have some serious problems. I would think that this whole experience has to be really hard for his parents. And really hard for him as well. I think that the sooner he gets some help, the better. When I was in high school my friend was checked into a similar facility. I visited her there. They didn't treat her badly. If anything, I was kind of relieved because I felt like she was safe there and she wouldn't hurt herself. (She was suicidal.) The people who worked there couldn't be manipulated as easily as her parents and friends could because they worked there, they weren't friends and family, if that makes sense. I know he's really young. I understand why you're worried. It sounds like he might really need some help right now, though. You said he's killed an animal? That's pretty serious. I just think that's probably a safe place to be. Hopefully he can talk to someone there and they can figure out why he's having problems. I admit, though, that my personal experience with this is limited.
I know he needs help. I'm glad to hear it isn't that bad. I agree he needs to be away from school, and probably home too. I just can't understand why I guess, this kid has a great family, both parents love and care about him. He's never been abused or neglected, never been spanked or really exposed to much violence. My sister is beating herself up, somehow convinced that her being strictly vegan while pregnant somehow messed him up. I know lots of vegan's and thier kids are fine, but there were some "issues" with the dad wanting evrything she ate to be organic, natural ect.. and I know she was hungry alot. I remember sneaking a non-organic fruit feast with her one day cuz she was so hungry and they didn't have alot to eat. and the father was weird about what the boy ate until he was about 2 and I know he was hungry alot oo, but I just don't think that's what caused these problems and I wish my sis would stop feeling so guilty. She has tried to get the school to get him counseling and they just told her the problem was she didn't discipline him enough and basically blamed her and didn't want to do anything to help him. She moved and after three weeks in the new system the school had him at a physciatrist's. So it is good that he is finally getting help.
I feel so bad for your sister. It sounds like she's just beating herself up over this. You know what, though? He's not having problems because she was vegan or something. Sometimes it's just so hard to know why some kids have problems. I know it's not the same thing, but I have 2 kids. They have the same genes, the same mom, the same (absent) dad, the same home, the same discipline, the same diet, and TOTALLY different personalities. I swear, one was different before she was born. I don't know why. I just know that environment, while important, isn't everything. It sounds like your BIL was super controlling about food and stuff. I'm not saying that that caused all these problems, but if you find yourself sneaking a pregnant woman food because her husband doesn't think most food is acceptable for her to eat and she's hungry, that to me says he's being super controlling. I hope he's gotten over that. I have no problem with eating organic food, but when a person starts using that issue to control the people around them, it becomes about control, not organic agriculture, you know? Anyway, I really feel for your sister. It is just so hard to watch your child struggle and have problems. I think that now maybe her kid can talk to people and maybe they can get to the bottom of this. More and more is being learned about how brain structure and chemistry affect behavior. Hopefully, they'll find out what he needs and he'll get it. Poor kid.
Sometimes problems aren't environmental, such as the way the family treats the child or what they eat, but instead, is a chemical in the brain that is off balance or some neurons may not be firing correctly. Also, has he had any closed head injuries? Sometimes closed head injuries damage the brain in certain areas that affect behavior.
I am sorry to hear about your nephew. I would just like to point out that is is not the teachers, councellors nor the principal's job to subdue a child. Things have changed since we were in school. Teachers aren't allowed, in some school districts, to even hug the children (elligations of sexual assult), so I seriously doubt they would be allowed to physically restrain a child without there being a possiable criminal investigation. This would be especially true of a child with a history of violent and threatening behaviour. If they touched the child and anything happened to him while they were touching him (ie. an injury) everyone involved would be in a lot of trouble... legally, professionally as well as mentally and emotionally. They did the right thing calling the police. I just thought it would be helpful for you to understand why the police were called. It wasn't heartlessness on behalf of the adults involved... it was in everyone's best interest. I hope everything turns out well for your nephew and that he gets the help he needs. Best Wishes.
is your sister getting help, too? Therapy or counselling might really help her deal with her feelings about this (not to mention her husband's control issues). It isn't her fault. She needs to know that, and sometimes it takes an expert to tell you something before you start to believe it yourself.
Unfortunatly, I know a lot about children that are institutionalized. I can tell you right now, if he is killing his pets and violent at school, he is in the best place for him. I've seen kids younger than 6 in places like that. Hopefully they can figure out what is going on with him before it gets any worse. Sometimes early detection is the key to the child having a normal life later on. I hope everything works out, I'll keep them in my thoughts. (((Hugs)))
If the problem has a nutritional basis, which it actually could (b12 and Iron deficiencies cause depression and all sorts of problems). I'm not trying to pick on vegans here just saying if you are not super careful to get what you need it can affect your brain, moods, and behavior. If there were severe family problems it could also trigger this kind of behavior. Maybe this boy is working through these issues in a way that is not appropriate. I think it would be hard to see any child in an institution. However, they specialize in getting to the bottom of these issues. There they can put him on medication. Many of those meds are really strong and have some odd side effects- even at very low doses. It is imperative that someone starting a new psych medication be monitered closely. It is safer for him to be where a team of people can keep an eye on how he is reacting. Also torturing pets is not nomal. It is a danger sign of abuse. Most emotional abuse is characterized by rigid controlling behavior from the abusing parent. This kid is trying to get help. Maybe if he is away from the situation he can process his feelings in a safer way. H
I agree with willow. I used to work with autistic and profoundly mentally ill children, and his symptoms are VERY VERY troubling. Killing pets is a sign of things like antisocial personalty and psychopathy and is seen in very serious criminals, like rapists and serial murderers. Is he brain damaged? Or something else? Was he ever in a really dangerous enviorment, like where he was violently sexually abused or beaten regularly? Sometimes we are surprised what goes on in the houses of people we think we know. Was he in Day Care at a very young age? Bad day care has cause myriad mental health issues in our children. If they are a danger to themselves or others it IS! I've worked in schools with seriously mentally ill children, while I was in college and shortly after, and this is neccesary, to prevent the child from harming himself and the other children and or the teachers. The staff at a normal school cannot allow a dangerous child to be allowed to harm other people. I worked at a state hospital/school in the early 1980s, and saw kids like this. It seems sad to removed them from their homes, but nothing about this child's behavior is normal. Everything you have described signaled HUGE red flags for me. Often as these problems have been aggravated by things in the home, it is neccesary to remove the child, so that he can be observed and helped without the things which may have either started, or encouraged the behaviors. When I worked at the Madden Mental Health center in the late 70s and early 80s, we saw a smaller number of kids with possible antisocial paranoid psychotic symptoms. But, even then, it wasn't all that common. The advent of very early day care, with many many hours in the hands of strangers, usually, if the day care provider isn't well chosen, has caused an epidemic of antisocial disorders and other mental health problems in children, especially boys. When I was in college, studying Child Psychology, there were basically NO female antisocial diagnosis. now we see them regularly (I don't work in mental health anymore, but I still have some freinds in the field) The only thing which has changed is the huge numbers of children being raised outside their own homes, and people out of neccesity, or just not knowing any better, choosing really poorly trained people to "care' for their children. I am sure I am saying things no one want to hear. But, this isn't due to diet or thing like that. We are talking very very serious mental health issues. And, even with help, this child will probably need help his entire life. No one is exactly sure what causes Personality Disorders, or even pyschosis (he could have either, or even both, but it is one of the two) but a combination of genetics and the way he was treated as an infant and small child is the key.
Yes, actually it is going well for everyone. I can't imagine him having ever been abused, but I guess anything is possible. He has always been home with his parents, one or the other. While his parents have split, they maintain a rather healthy relationship and he has never been forced to really see them fight or have to choose. I really have no idea what caused this, the childs grandmother has suffered from manic depression and possibly some other mental issues, so maybe its just bad genes? and as I said he has always been "different" even as an infant he displayed lack of bonding and failure to connect with people, and regulary hurt other children by hugging or holding them as if they were toys. It's hard to explian I guess. Being out of the home and school has helped in diagnosis, the Dr.s can really see him, not just an hour a week, hopefully if there has been any abuse it will come out. I defintely think it is better to get help at 6 than to go on a gun spree at 16, and he does luckily have family and parents who really do care and want whatever is best for him.
