Therapy For Behavioral Issues

Mental health conditions are prevalent in communities all over the world these days. Several studies have shown that these conditions are so extensively-occurring that they affect millions worldwide. When you hear the term "mental illness," you'll likely think it's something that's restricted to adults alone.

However, this is wrong, as recent research has shown that just as mental illnesses occur in adults, they also occur in children. Now you would think that there would be very effective treatments for dealing with things as debilitating mental illnesses, but this isn't exactly the current situation. Mental illnesses are usually challenging to diagnose and treat effectively because they have various forms of expression in people, especially children.

Usually, children tend to "act up" when chastised or when they don't get their way, so many adults simply attribute unusual behaviors in children to attitude or rudeness. While this may be the situation at times, it doesn't apply to all cases. Unusual behaviors in children can actually be an indication of a type of mental illness known as behavior disorder (behavioral issues). What are behavioral issues? Read on to find out!

What are Behavioral Issues?

Behavioral issues refer to conditions where children exhibit behaviors or attitudes that are totally out of the norm expected for their age and personality. You should know that while behavioral issues can be a defiance "phase" all children go through from time to time, it could also indicate something more serious. More often than not, these behavioral issues, if not properly treated, eventually morph or develop into pretty serious mental illness conditions. So temporary phase or not, it is important you pay close attention to these behavioral aberrations in your children when you notice them. You should also endeavor to seek effective treatment and management for them.

Before going into possible treatment options for behavioral issues in children, let's take a look at some of these behavioral disorders and what their symptoms look like.

Common Types Of Behavioral Issues

As mentioned earlier, there are several types of behavioral issues that could be diagnosed in children. Some of the most common of these include the following:

  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a behavioral issue commonly observed to occur in children ten years of age and under. Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder often exhibit symptoms such as easy irritability, frequent arguments with familiar adults, especially parents, refusal to obey instructions, blame throwing, and temper tantrums. ODD has been observed to occur more frequently in boys than girls.
  • Conduct Disorder: Conduct Disorder (CD) is another common type of behavioral issue observed to occur in children. Children with Conduct Disorder are often termed "delinquents" because they exhibit a strong refusal to follow rules and accept instructions. Studies have shown that many children with CD also have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Just like in Oppositional Defiant Disorder, CD is believed to affect more boys than girls. Children with Conduct Disorder also exhibit a lack of empathy for other people, and they have an increased tendency to drug use and abuse.
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)  is one of the most common mental illness disorders known to affect children and even adults. Children who have ADHD often exhibit marked levels of inattention that could be characterized by concentration problems and high impulsivity. These children also exhibit constant restlessness, and they usually cannot stay still long enough to focus on a particular thing.

What Causes Behavioral Issues?

It is not known for certain why these behavioral issues occur in children. However, while it might be challenging to identify a particular cause, there are risk factors that have been associated with causing these behavioral issues. These risk factors include the following:

  • Chemistry and brain structure: Some studies have revealed that there is a connection between brain condition and behavioral issues. Brain factors like anatomy, neurotransmitter levels, and degree of brain development have all been implicated in the manifestation of behavioral issues in children. For example, children who have ADHD have been observed to have lower activity in regions of the brain responsible for attention control. Behavioral issues characterized by increased aggression in children have also been linked to low levels of serotonin in the brain.
  • Complications in pregnancy: There are lots of medical conditions that have been linked to pregnancy complications, and behavioral issues in children are also number among them. Children who were prematurely born and those with low birth weight tend to be more susceptible to behavioral issues. Behavioral issues like ODD may also present more in children who were exposed to toxins like tobacco smoke during their development in the womb.
  • Genetics: Genetics have also been linked with causing behavioral issues in children. Basically, children born in families with a history of behavioral issues tend to be more predisposed to developing these conditions.
  • Sex/Gender: You should also know that sex also plays a significant role in the development and manifestation of behavioral issues in children. As mentioned earlier, boys tend to be more susceptible to these behavioral issues, and as such, they have higher incidence statistics. You should also know that sex usually determines the expression of these behavioral issue symptoms. For example, girls are more likely to display aggression with words rather than actions. The reverse goes for boys.
  • Exposure to trauma has also been known to significantly affect mental health and wellness, usually resulting in disorders and behavioral issues.

Treatment For Behavioral Issues

Do you suspect that your child has behavioral issues? If you do, it is important you help them get the help they need as soon as possible. This is because, without adequate treatment, the child could grow up to become a dysfunctional adult, not to mention the fact that the condition will likely worsen over time. Usually, treatments for behavioral issues are diverse, and the chosen approach depends on the specific condition and its causes.

Nevertheless, you should know that therapy plays a significant role in behavioral illness treatment. Therapy for behavioral issues could be individualized or group therapy, depending on the goal, but usually, both approaches are combined for the best effect.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy would involve the child working with a trained and experienced child therapist. Usually, the goal of individual therapy is to discover the root causes of the behavioral expressions of the child. Once this is done, the child therapist will help the child identify triggers and develop practical coping skills for dealing with them.

Children with behavioral issues will also learn practical ways to manage their anger and communicate better with others.

Group Therapy

You should know that recovery from behavioral issues isn't just left to the child alone; the family also has a vital role to play. During group therapy sessions, family members are taught the best ways to communicate effectively with each other. This will, in turn, lead to better understanding and improve overall relationship health.

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