Layperson's Guide to Living with Mental Disease (eBook)

BEHAVIORAL CHANGES/ MENTAL DISEASE FROM INFANCY TO ADVANCED AGE

As promised, this is the section which will hopefully give important information as to what to expect from the different age groups with regard to determining normal changes in behavior versus changes which could indicate Mental Disease.

NON-VERBAL: INFANCY TO EARLY TODDLER

With the exceptions of mental retardation, which is usually diagnosed before or at birth, and autism, it is rare that a mental illness is found in an infant or toddler. If a child seems sad and withdrawn, has developmental delays, problem making eye contact, eating issues, and inability to mimic facial expressions, the child should be seen by a pediatrician as soon as possible as these are initial symptoms of autism. With autism, the sooner the infant is diagnosed and receives therapy, the better chance they have of overcoming some of their issues.

I cannot talk from personal experience about mental illness in infancy as my depression began at six years old. What I can offer, from talking to people dealing with changes in the behavior of an infant, is the following.

The most frequent concern of young parents with regard to their babies and toddlers is when they experience a personality change from a happy-go-lucky child to a sad, withdrawn one. This is where the Plan of Action comes into play again.

Honestly assessing the home environment is important. Is there ongoing stress? Are there frequent arguments which can be overheard by the child? Is bonding time from one or both parents limited? Does the child spend long hours away from home with a caretaker? Does the child get limited stimulation? I have seen toddlers who cannot speak spend hours on a cell phone or IPad, amusing themselves. To me, every hour a non-verbal child is not interacting with other human beings, cannot be good. The jury is still out on the long-term issues of constant technology, but already there are studies which indicate that sadness and depression are being diagnosed in people who spend more time in front of computers and video games. Also, there are more incidents of mental illness in younger children than ever before.

For non-verbal children, the only way of expressing pain or unhappiness is by crying or becoming sad and withdrawn. These are dark times and we cannot trust anyone when it comes to our children. It is not possible when a child is an infant or non-verbal toddler to teach or talk to them about inappropriate touching, so a parent must be vigilant and aggressive in paying attention to a personality change or bodily injuries. As a matter of fact, even if a child seems normal it is a good idea to check them often when they return from caretakers. A good caretaker will inform a parent if a child has fallen or had an issue which resulted in a bruise or cut.

If a child has unusual bruises or marks on any part of the body which cannot be explained, take the child to a pediatrician as soon as possible. The specialist will look for health issues which might explain sudden bruises, but if the doctor feels there is evidence of abuse, the law requires the authorities to be called.

It is essential to rule out whether a child is being physically or verbally abused or bullied by an adult, another child, or even a family pet or other animal outside the home. A visit to the home or facility where the child is cared for is in order if anything is suspected. Stay calm, patient and be thorough when talking to the child’s caretakers and scoping out the environment. Sometimes, a non-verbal child will tell by their actions if they are uncomfortable with someone or something. They might stiffen up or cling tightly, look away from the caretaker, or start crying as if they want to get away. If parents are aggressive with their investigations, they should be able to determine if a child is being abused verses having behavioral changes due to a possible mental illness.

Everything in the first part of the Plan of Action has been ruled out, but the infant or toddler continues to be sad and withdrawn or agitated. If the child has not had a checkup as part of the process above, then it is time to explore whether a physical issue might be causing the change. For example, the child could have an allergy causing pain or itching or the thyroid could be malfunctioning, which causes anxiety and mood changes. To repeat, if the child is having other developmental delays, an autism check is warranted. Children who are born to drug addicts and alcoholics are also more susceptible to personality changes. Generally, as they withdraw from drugs, the mood improves, but not always if the damage is severe. Studies have shown that these children might also be more susceptible to Mental Disease if the brain circuits have been damaged.

If all of the above has been explored and the baby is still not as happy as you would like, it is possible the child’s personality has changed to resemble that of an in-law! Hopefully, the personality will change again. Sorry, I can’t help it! A sense of humor is critical especially in these times.

Continue to keep a close eye on the child, but don’t obsess over it once everything has been ruled out. Many babies and toddlers go through personality changes from time to time. Continue to provide a happy, stress-free environment and never argue in front of a child of any age. If you know that there are mental issues among family members, vigilance is more important as the child ages, especially if the melancholy doesn’t subside or worsens. Eventually, the child will become verbal and will hopefully be able to communicate what they are feeling.

VERBAL TODDLER TO FIVE YEARS

I wish I could say that full blown Mental Disease is rarely seen in this group of children, but unfortunately that is not true. There have been cases of four and five year olds consistently doing harm to themselves and others in the throes of severe anger issues. Years later, and while they are still children, extensive brain scans have shown that the Hippocampus and Amygdala and other part of their brains which control emotions were severely damaged. If the Amygdala is sending destructive messages to the Hippocampus, a child as young as five years old could easily stab several members of his family without thinking twice about it. Unfortunately, it does happen and the violence can continue until they are diagnosed. Some families endure this horror for a decade or longer before they get help. Some never get relief.

A SPECT brain scan was performed on the five year old who stabbed his relatives, but it didn’t happen until he was 15 and had caused his family a decade of the most unbelievable stress imaginable. The test did confirm that his brain was damaged in many areas, especially those neurotransmitters controlling anger and impulsiveness. With the help of a Psychiatrist and the right medications targeted to the dysfunctional areas of his brain, he might finally get the help he needs. Many people cannot believe that the brain of a five-year old can be that damaged, but with the right mix of heredity, birth trauma, a possible brain injury, and environmental factors it can happen.

There are many tests available to help determine the functioning of the brain. MRI and PET scans are the most popular and are usually covered by insurance. They are useful but sometimes do not show everything that is needed to diagnose the patient. The SPECT (single-photon emission computerized tomography) brain scan has been very successful in showing where abnormal functioning is taking place in the brain. It is a nuclear imaging test using radioactive materials and a camera to create 3-D pictures. This test which costs about $1300 is not covered by insurance because they have determined that attention deficit is a behavioral problem. Behavioral problems are not deemed eligible for coverage by insurance. Many mental health professionals do not believe the SPECT makes any difference in a diagnosis, but a desperate parent looking for answers to a loved one’s mental health crisis may disagree with that assessment. I disagree wholeheartedly with the insurance companies also and believe SPECT brain scans will be the wave of the future to diagnose mental illness.

I will never forget visiting a teenager in a rehabilitation center. I was ready to get on the elevator, when the door opened and out walked at least ten children, all of whom were no more than five or six years old. After I inquired if they were patients, one of the people working in the facility told me the children were being moved from one therapy session to another. I felt the tears leave my eyes and I had the chills for a long time.

It is hoped that even if there is no change of personality with a verbal child, that the important subject of inappropriate touching has already taken place. This is probably the most sensitive and critical talk which people need to have with a young child. There are books and other educational materials to help family communicate the issue in the best way. It also includes making sure the child knows that they have done nothing wrong when an adult touches them inappropriately, as feeling guilty about everything bad which takes place is rampant among children. They have to be reassured they can come to a parent and tell them what is happening immediately no matter what it is. People need to tell children that people who are doing bad things to them will often tell them they can’t say anything about it or will even threaten them or their family. Too...