Waiting for diagnosis... Meanwhile anyone deal with anxiety/depression in young kids?

[WinsomeCreek]

I'm kind of new to the SN board. I have high needs kids that have mostly compensated for learning struggles. My 7 yo was tested yesterday. We suspect ADHD. His dyslexia is obvious. He's probably a 2e kid. The school refused to test him as he was above grade level academically so we finally went for private testing.

We're waiting for scoring and results. I don't know the tests he was given. Before I left I asked if anything stood out and was told he has depression and anxiety. I'm so sad about this, devastated that a little kid has to deal with this. It makes some sense. I hope we get guidance on how to help and not just suggestions of medications.

I'm about to search and read through others' experiences. If anyone has been through this, please let me know what helped.

[quark]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

I'm so sorry for his pain, and yours. Our situation might not help because DS's anxiety and depression comes and goes...it usually peaks during holidays. Because it comes and goes and we more or less manage it by introducing a lot of exercise, discussions, some challenging brain work, and then just monitoring the situation the best we can, we haven't yet seen a need to diagnose this professionally and/ or medicate. I know this is not helpful...just wanted to send some hugs and support. The best approach for him was to introduce exercise because he won't do that on his own unless we push it. But his is probably a milder form.

[PeterPan]

Has he had an OT eval to see if that is underlying the anxiety?  Meds wouldn't be the only answer.  Neurofeedback can also help.

 

The wait is hard.  When will you get results?

[sbgrace]

:grouphug:  I'm sorry. It is so hard when our kids struggle. I'm glad you know so you can help him. :grouphug:
 

 

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the best type of therapy for these sorts of issues. It can be hard with young kids. If you go that route, make sure the therapist is a cognitive behavioral therapist and has experience and comfort working with his age. Dawn Huebners books are really good for home cognitive behavioral approaches. Here is one for worry http://www.amazon.com/What-When-You-Worry-Much/dp/1591473144/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8and she has one for OCD and negative thinking (which is often part of depression) too. I have loved all the books of hers I own.

 

That said, my son's anxiety was so high that he had to have more than therapy type help. In our case, a doctor recommended a supplement that helped. But I would have medicated if it didn't. A friend did end up needing medication for her son's anxiety. Sometimes they make a life liveable, and are needed just like a diabetic needs insulin.

 

:grouphug: :grouphug:

[Tiramisu]

My oldest suffered with anxiety for twelve years; it started at age five with a serious injury. She was nearly an adult whe she herself asked a doctor to help her. She'd been on and off in therapy for years, too. It was a night and day difference, and I regret waiting. When another dd became seriously depressed, it was a much easier decision to make. It has helped her tremendously, too.

 

All of my kids have sensory issues. I think that is the root of the anxiety in our family, and untreated anxiety can lead to depression. 

[WinsomeCreek]

Thank you for responding. Many of our family have sensory issues. We have also had very real problems outside of our control the last couple of years and I would probably be diagnosed with depression and anxiety too. I can't help but feel like he may have this as a result of my deficiencies.

This kid is extremely athletic. He often has to sit still and wait while his older brothers have activities. I strongly suspect meeting his very high physical needs would help. Thanks for the reminder on the benefits of exercise on brain chemistry, Quark.

We have not looked into OT yet. His anxiety I can totally see, but foolishly didn't really take seriously even though he will not go into another room alone at home.

I don't know when we will get results. Of the many high pressure and time sensitive things we've been through, this is the most stressful wait ever! I want to do something and don't know where to start. Thank you for the book suggestion, sbgrace. I added that and the one about temper to my cart. This kid is so volatile.

[City Mouse]

I don't have any experience in treatments, but as a teacher I have found that most every kid I have come across in public school with Learning disabilities but an average (or higher) iq has some level of anxiety and/or depression. They know when they can't do what is expected and it does affect them. Sometimes the anxiety goes away on its own once the LDs are identified and accommodated, but sometimes professional help is needed.

 

Sometimes anxiety and depression can cause symptoms in children that mimic ADHD symptoms.

[Terabith]

My 2e daughter was always anxious, but I didn't know that's what it was.  At her second birthday party, she said, "Mommy, I don't like other children.  I prefer to play alone."  Super articulate, off the charts vocabulary, but what I laughed off at two was less funny at 2.5 or 3 or 4, when she wasn't interacting with other kids at all.  The developmental pediatrician initially dx her with autism, but after running the ADOS, said it was just anxiety.  I was adamant that I was not going to medicate a preschooler, but we were unable to find a counselor who would take her on because of her age, and the anxiety eventually became so severe that she really was not learning or growing.  I reluctantly agreed to start meds when she was five.  It really was a miracle for her.  Within a week or two, she was getting chastised at preschool for talking!  (Secretly both the teacher and I were cheering.)  

[rwilk]

Sorry you and your ds are dealing with this.

 

My dd struggles with anxiety. She's in therapy which was really hard for me to wrap my head around.  I couldn't come to terms with someone so little needing therapy.  But it's really helped her work through things, and helped my dh and myself to understand her behavior and fears a little more.  It's terrible to watch her have panic attacks, and to recognize that's what they are. But now that we know, we can help her cope and work through it.

 

We do a lot of sensory stuff. It's been sort of trial and error. We have found certain touches help her calm. We also let her control her surroundings a bit.  She is able to decide when she can be around others, and when she can't.  She can tell me if there's too much noise, and she needs to step outside. And we still have zero screen time. The visual stimulation is just too much for her to handle right now.

 

The craziest thing we figured out is the auditory input she can track. She shuts down in large groups/noise and won't react or talk to others.  They tested her, and she can track 4-5 conversations simultaneously, and just gets exhausted. I don't think she knows how to focus her hearing on only one person. 

 

Our biggest challenge is dealing with (some) family. They think the best way to deal with her issues is to throw her into a large loud group, and make her adjust. We....disagree. We make our decisions based on the advice of her pediatrician, therapist, and our own instincts. 

 

It can be very hard to find a therapist for little ones.  We had luck because her pediatrician called in a favor for us. 

 

I hope this is an easy, short journey for your family. 

[WinsomeCreek]

Sorry you and your ds are dealing with this.

 

My dd struggles with anxiety. She's in therapy which was really hard for me to wrap my head around. I couldn't come to terms with someone so little needing therapy. But it's really helped her work through things, and helped my dh and myself to understand her behavior and fears a little more. It's terrible to watch her have panic attacks, and to recognize that's what they are. But now that we know, we can help her cope and work through it.

 

We do a lot of sensory stuff. It's been sort of trial and error. We have found certain touches help her calm. We also let her control her surroundings a bit. She is able to decide when she can be around others, and when she can't. She can tell me if there's too much noise, and she needs to step outside. And we still have zero screen time. The visual stimulation is just too much for her to handle right now.

 

The craziest thing we figured out is the auditory input she can track. She shuts down in large groups/noise and won't react or talk to others. They tested her, and she can track 4-5 conversations simultaneously, and just gets exhausted. I don't think she knows how to focus her hearing on only one person.

 

Our biggest challenge is dealing with (some) family. They think the best way to deal with her issues is to throw her into a large loud group, and make her adjust. We....disagree. We make our decisions based on the advice of her pediatrician, therapist, and our own instincts.

 

It can be very hard to find a therapist for little ones. We had luck because her pediatrician called in a favor for us.

 

I hope this is an easy, short journey for your family.

This is intriguing. I also have anxiety and what I describe to Dh as an inability to habituate. I wonder if ds has similar problems. I understand what your dd is going through. I struggle to not hear or see extra stuff around. Even as an adult able to focus, I'll notice way too much and get overwhelmed. Ds seems impulsive and unable to focus, but perhaps he has the same sensory problem? If your dd has a similar inability to habituate then my personal experience is that exposure did not help it go away. I don't know what helps make it better. I just need to find downtime and avoid prolonged exposure to stimulating environments. Also, I go into what resembles a mild manic phase and ride the waves of stimulation to cope. It results in remarkable productivity with multitasking. I don't know if that's what your dd or my ds also deal with, but I'm definitely going to consider it for my guy if he comes back without ADHD. Thinking about his behavior, his super hyper energy is when he's with others or out. He can read quietly in his room for a long time and he does well when his brothers are out.

 

We had a respected psychologist do the testing. Hopefully he will offer guidance on how to help ds as a family and how to find a good therapist close to us. We have a great ped, but he's fairly hands off. I should get ds for an OT sensory evaluation. Gah. I want the results.

[Guest LotusPrimary]

We have not had an official DX yet(we are starting the ball rolling tomorrow) But my DD(5) has obvious anxiety. It does come and go but there are certain things that trigger her anxiety (weather, certain social situations,etc). No real advice just, you are not alone  :grouphug:

[Guest]

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Edited June 22, 2016 by Guest

[WinsomeCreek]

The tests given were: WRAMI2, NEPS4, WIATiii writing, a survey I filled out (called BASC2?), and a short how are you questionnaire for ds. We did not request iq or acheivement because we are specifically worried about memory problems, ADHD and dyslexia. Should we send him back for iq and acheivement? We don't have results yet.

[WinsomeCreek]

We have not had an official DX yet(we are starting the ball rolling tomorrow) But my DD(5) has obvious anxiety. It does come and go but there are certain things that trigger her anxiety (weather, certain social situations,etc). No real advice just, you are not alone :grouphug:

That's a heavy first post.

 

Welcome to the hive and good luck on getting started. I think we waited way too long to formally address this.