Mental Health Specialist

What Mental Health Conditions Appear in Children and Teens?

Mental health disorders affect children and teens more often than many parents realize. Statistics show that 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by the age of 14. Edmond Sarraf, MD, at Southern California Integrative Wellness Center evaluates children for mental health concerns, determines the underlying cause of the problem, then offers natural treatments as alternatives to medications. If you have concerns about your child’s emotional or behavioral health, call the office in Los Angeles.

Over the last two decades, mental health experts have learned that disorders once believed to only affect adults also develop in children and teens. Many of these conditions also appear at a very young age. For example, one in six children between the ages of two and eight are diagnosed with a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder.

Children and teens may develop many different conditions, including:

  • ADHD
  • Anxiety
  • Autism
  • Depression
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Conduct disorder
  • Oppositional defiant disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

It’s also common for children to have comorbid conditions, making their symptoms and behaviors more difficult and confusing. Nearly 50% of children with ADHD also have a mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety. Additionally, 75% of children with depression also have anxiety and behavioral disorders.

Mental Health

What Signs Indicate Mental Health Problems in Children and Teens?

It can be hard for parents to determine when a child’s emotions and behaviors are normal or they cross the line into a potential problem. If you ever have any doubt about your child’s challenges, Dr. Ed can help you figure it out with an in-depth evaluation.

Emotions and behaviors need professional attention when they’re severe enough to interfere with your child’s ability to socialize and participate in school or family activities. These are some of the most common signs that children and teens may need professional help for their problems:

  • School performance starts to decline
  • Frequently worried or anxious
  • Often refuse to go to school
  • Hyperactive or constantly fidgeting
  • Persistent nightmares
  • Ongoing disobedience or aggression
  • Frequent temper tantrums
  • Signs of depression, such as sadness or hopelessness
  • Loss of interest or refusal to participate in activities

Older children and teens may escape their problems by spending excessive time using their smartphone, playing video games, or staying on the computer. Your teen may also begin to engage in reckless behaviors like drinking or drugs.

How Are Mental Health Problems Treated?

Although many mental health problems are treated with psychoactive drugs, Dr. Ed helps parents find alternatives to medication. He offers many effective and natural options such as:

  • Homeopathy
  • Herbal medicine
  • Traditional Chinese medicine
  • Mindfulness meditation
  • Sports activities
  • Essential oils

Dr. Ed may also recommend behavioral modification for children and provide tips that help parents break negative cycles of behavior.

The team of holistic practitioners at Southern California Integrative Wellness Center includes Loa Arnoth, a highly-trained spiritual healer with an intuitive understanding of emotional wounds and family dynamics. Loa works with individuals and families, liberating them from unconscious patterns as she gently and lovingly helps them face their wounds and challenges, and guides them back into the light and love of their true natures.

With Loa’s passion for freeing patients from their established patterns, her purposeful counseling, and alternative therapies such as Chinese medicine, craniosacral therapy, yoga, and mindful meditation, she has helped many patients transform their lives and restore emotional balance.

If your child struggles with mental health concerns, call Southern California Integrative Wellness Center.