How To Help Children And Youth With Mood Swings
Without help, mood swings can be very upsetting to the child or youth, family, teachers and friends. They can be very confusing. They isolate the child or youth. Mood swings can lead to habits of lying and pretending. They affect success in living, learning and social situations into adult life. They can result in low self-confidence and being stereotyped as untrustworthy. Mood swings can be due to and complicated by a combination of factors including: medical conditions; learning and developmental challenges; family patterns; mental illness such as bipolar disorder; nutritional imbalances; exposure to environmental pollutants; discomfort from unhealed emotional and physical traumas (falls, accidents) and abuses of all kinds (physical, emotional, sexual, intellectual); prolonged stress; stress due to family turmoil; lack of success; ineffective educational programs; exhaustion.
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First, We Would Investigate |
Second, We Would Investigate |
For Long Term Support |
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On Our Own We Would Try: • Replace sodas, juices, sugars, fats, fast foods with water, veggies, whole grains, nuts, protein, fruit, slow food • Long Walks/Hikes • Bedtime Stories and Chats • Wholesome Pleasures • Back Rubs and Foot Massages • Nature • Pets • Less or No TV, Movies, Video/Computer Games |
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For Parents: • Get early medical evaluation. • Daily, enjoyable family physical activity works wonders. • Avoid making the child or youth feel guilty or ashamed. • Parenting classes can help with power struggles which often result from mood swings. |