Childhood Disorders

What Are Childhood Disorders?

Some disorders are much more common in children than they are in adults and it's also reasonable to say that children are more likely to develop certain anxieties over others. These common childhood anxieties not only affect a child as they grow up but can have a knock on effect throughout their entire life. The early recognition and effective treatment of childhood disorders can prevent this. The key, then, is for parents to first identify that a child might be suffering from any particular disorder.

Mood Disorders

Mood disorders include serious depression and can cause children to feel useless and hopeless and can affect sleep patterns, eating patterns and present several more serious symptoms. Bipolar disorder is also fairly common in children and can be difficult to spot because the mood swings associated with it can be easily put down to typical signs of growing up or childhood. Serious depression should be fairly easy to spot but children that are suffering from other childhood disorders can be more problematic.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is as natural a reaction for children as it is for adults. However, anxiety disorders are also common and are usually associated with children that are in a constant state of anxiety or have strong anxiety attacks. Anxiety disorders, or phobias, can have serious and negative effect on a child's life.

Attention Deficit Disorders

ADD is a well-documented childhood disorder. It diminishes the child's capability to learn, study and concentrate. A lack of attention, short attention span and loss of appetite are common symptoms of these childhood disorders.

Autism

Autism is actually a series of several childhood disorders that affect sensory perception and reaction, learning capability and communicative ability. This is the most serious of all childhood disorders and should be spotted very early on.

Treating Childhood Disorders

Therapies and treatments for childhood disorders do vary but most will start with a consultation with your physician or mental health expert. A combination of prescription medication and supportive therapy is usually advised to great effect. The actual treatment your child receives should be geared specifically toward your child because these individual courses of treatment differ depending on the child, the disorder in question and it's severity.