There’s a certain type of worry that is like no other. That’s the kind where we, as parents, are worrying about our children. You can’t concentrate; you can’t enjoy yourself; you can’t sleep. There’s a pit in your stomach because in the back of your mind you know: All is not well in your world if your kids aren’t OK.
It’s National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week — and with it, the opportunity for parents, teachers, coaches and troop leaders to make a difference in a child’s life by keeping on the look out for signs that a child is struggling with a mental health issue. So often what is burdensome in a child’s mind, what isolates them and makes them feel different from everyone else, is something that can be effectively addressed, treated and overcome.
These mental health issues include: paralyzing anxiety that keeps children from raising their hand in class, attention difficulties which leave them frustrated for getting in trouble when they don’t know why, feelings of depression like nothing is worth anything, especially themselves, and even concerns that any food they put in their mouths will make them fat. We live in a time when very effective treatments are available to help children recover from these detours and regain their stride in life. However, if left untreated, mental health disorders pose serious threats to a child’s growth and functioning and can rob a child of a full, healthy life.
Photo by United Way of the Lower Mainland on Foter.com / CC BY-NC
