Spotting Signs Early that Something Isn’t Right
When my firstborn was younger, he would tell me about the characters he saw during the day while he was playing. He once excitedly and gleefully told me he saw Sonic the Hedgehog walk toward him. Every time this happened, I would think to myself, boy, he has an imaginative brain! We'd visit the pediatrician for the annual wellness checks, where I would ask about his hallucinations and repetitive noises or movements. The doctor chalked it up to hormonal changes and tics (not the bugs—that’s a whole ’nothing blog post). Tics are either repeated noises or abrupt body movements. They can be linked to ADHD but are a hallmark sign of Tourette's.
Still perplexed by some of the early behaviors I noticed, I had no idea what would unfold later in his teen years. Deep down, I knew there was a pretty good chance that issues of mental illness could reveal themselves in my children. After all, my brother has schizoaffective and depressive disorders. I struggled with depression on and off, but I didn't know it at the time. My father also suffered from depression from the early age of five. My point is that the apple often doesn't fall too far from the tree. Like me, you may be overlooking signs or genetics when it comes to your own children.
For me, it was fear of seeing my child struggle in life and the potential pain that he would endure. I had watched from a front-row seat my brother's struggles with mood and self-medicating. We didn’t understand why he abused drugs for a long time. My parents weren't sure where to start for help. It wasn't until about three years into my brother's drug addiction that they sought the help of psychiatrists and doctors who could identify what was happening. Of course by this time, my brother had already been expelled from the public high school. He needed to finish his GED between time spent in mental hospitals, drug rehab programs, and other rehab centers. Once my parents had a proper diagnosis, my brother got the right antipsychotic meds started, which helped him get off the crystal methamphetamines. He was on his way to recovery, but it would be a very arduous road.
With the experience of my brother's journey as my backdrop, I would ponder these hallucinations or behaviors my son exhibited with great worry and concern. However, it seemed too early to look for a diagnosis. The clear signs of schizoaffective disorder started to appear when we moved across the country. Even though I did not have an official diagnosis, I knew something was happening and started probing and getting some testing. After six months of comprehensive testing, they determined that along with an ADHD diagnosis and dyscalculia, other things were going on. They referred me to a psychiatry office where doctors would have a more thorough understanding of my son's symptoms. My son was old enough to articulate what an episode may look like and what triggered it. Often stress or severe anxiety was the culprit. If a high level of stress or anxiety was afoot, hallucinations and voices would follow. With an official diagnosis and a couple of provider changes along the way, we were fortunate enough to finally connect with a physician’s assistant who was knowledgeable about what my son was experiencing. He was able to explain the many facets of what was going on.
They always say hindsight is 20/20, and I can see in this situation that I knew something was off but played the guessing game. I second-guessed myself and my instincts on some signs that displayed themselves early on. I second-guessed my child, who would try and articulate what he was experiencing, but couldn't quite put it into words. My only saving grace was knowing my family history could play a part. The nagging feeling in my gut would eventually prevail in finding the proper help for my child. I am thankful that our homeschooling environment, select friend groups, and music teachers would keep him engaged in his love for learning and out of trouble.
It is important to spot signs in our children that may seem off as soon as possible. In fact, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, "Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental health condition isn't always easy, but identifying a problem early can help lead to the best outcome."(1) I wasn't sure if my child was displaying the expected developmental behaviors for his age group. Still, the determination to get answers was something I didn't want to let go of. I'm thankful for the many resources available to us now that didn't exist during my brother's adolescence. I hope anyone reading this may be encouraged by my sharing. Life can undoubtedly throw curve balls at you. But it's my intent with this blog to help others find resources, encouragement, and hope so that as a community we may better understand together.
Are you a Christian parenting an individual with mental illness? Join the Eleventh Willow private Facebook support group to meet other parents who understand. Let’s help each other walk this path.
Sources:
(1) “About Mental Illness.” NAMI, https://nami.org/About-Mental-Illness.
