Child psychiatrists focus on assessing, diagnosing, and treating mental health conditions in children. They have the specialized training and education required to deeply understand the behavioral and developmental challenges of childhood. These psychiatrists can work towards creating an effective treatment plan controlling behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. Child psychiatrists can help with a wide variety of conditions including autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention hyperactivity disorder, depression, and anxiety.

Children can benefit from seeing a psychiatrist if they have a mental health condition or are struggling to process a major life event/trauma. Your child may be facing emotional hardships, stress, and grief you might not even be aware of. In many cases, children can have a difficult time identifying their emotional irregularities and expressing the need for help. Signs that your child should see a psychiatrist include sleep disturbances, mood instability, an increased desire to be isolated, irritability, clinginess, social withdrawal, and changes in eating habits.

Children seek psychiatrist help for numerous reasons:

• To assess and diagnose mental health conditions
• To help manage mental health disorders such as autism and depression
• To navigate big life changes like moving schools or gaining a new sibling
• To process traumatic events such as abuse, neglect, loss of a parent, or divorce
• To talk through big feelings and emotions
• To learn healthy coping mechanisms
• To increase trust and communication between parent and child
• To validate your child’s feelings and psychological distress
• To ensure your child gets the treatment they deserve and need
• To correct chemical imbalances in the brain
• To change and improve destructive behaviors
• To learn how to control emotions and intrusive thoughts

If you suspect your child may have a mental disorder, book an appointment with a psychiatrist for the proper assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. It may take several sessions to determine the root cause of your child’s symptoms and get a correct diagnosis. Signs of a mental condition in children include the following:

• Nightmares and night terrors
• Hyperactivity
• Decline in academic performance
• Insomnia
• Excessive fear
• Anxiety
• Bedwetting
• Refusal to go to school or after-school activities
• Aggression
• Anger outbursts
• Crying
• Hostility
• Irritability
• Lack of respect to authority figures and rules, especially in school environments and at home
• Decrease in appetite
• Thinking about death
• Separation anxiety
• Language regression
• Social isolation

Psychiatry of the Palm Beaches understands that you want the absolute best life for your child. Seeking the proper mental health care can ensure your children get the psychiatric support they need to live a happy, fulfilled life. There are a plethora of lifelong benefits to finding top-rated child psychiatrists in your area. Not only can seeking mental health care at a young age have benefits in the present, but it can also help future development, growth, and perception in life. For additional information on the child psychiatry services provided at Psychiatry of the Palm Beaches, call us today or book an appointment online. We have convenient locations to serve you. We serve patients from Boynton Beach FL, Palm Beach Gardens FL, Stuart, FL, Wellington, FL, Jupiter FL, Lake Worth FL, West Palm Beach FL, Delray Beach FL, Riviera Beach FL, Century Village FL, Lake Park FL, Forth Piece North, FL, Lakewood Park, FL, Westlake, FL, Loxahatchee Groves, FL and North Palm Beach FL.