Supporting Physical and Mental Wellbeing
Young people who are accessing the neurodevelopmental team for further assessment may also experience issues with regards to their mental health. There is evidence to suggest that young people with neurodevelopmental profiles can also experience things such as: anxiety, low mood, suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviour to name a few. Even those young people who do not necessarily get a formal diagnosis may well experience issues with regards to their mental health. Please be mindful that not all young people will experience mental health difficulties.
Anxiety
Different things can set this off and a few examples include: worries about going somewhere new, meeting people, busy/noisy places, scared of not knowing what to say or do or what is going to happen, frightened of making a mistake and getting it wrong and not being able to do things. Sometimes young people may not be able to say why they are feeling this way.
It is really important to know that anxiety is really common and lots and lots of people will experience it at some time in their life, adults as well as young people. The good thing is you can do something to reduce this, manage it better, and in some cases stop it altogether. This can be done on your own by understanding, reading up on, and learning how to manage it. In some cases, you may need help from your parents or carers or professionals such as CAMHS or school based councillors. Try and talk to someone you feel comfortable with, about how you are feeling.
- This video is Kem Cetinay talking about anxiety and how he manages it
- This short video describes three ways to help overcome anxiety
Low mood/ depression
Sometimes we can identify what may cause this such as something bad happening to us, losing someone close or really struggling to fit in with our friendship group. Sometimes not being able to concentrate or do what is asked of us can be frustrating and lead to feeling sad or unhappy.
It is important to know that these feelings are really common and there’s loads of help out there. Sometimes just recognising you are feeling like this and sharing it with others you can trust, can be really helpful in trying to feel better. It’s good to tell someone how you are feeling so they can help and support you in getting better and help you learn ways of managing how you are feeling. On occasions, some young people may need help from professionals on how best to manage how they are feeling. Below are some links to resources relating to low mood/depression.
Suicidal ideation and self-harm
There are times where some young people can be so overwhelmed by what is going on for them that they may experience thoughts to harm themselves or have thoughts to end their life.
If you do feel like this, there are lots of things you can do to help yourself. You can speak to someone about how you are feeling. You can also distract yourself and do something that you really enjoy such as listen to music or play a favourite game that you like. Spend time with friends.
If these feelings continue, it is really important you tell someone as there is lots of help out there to manage these thoughts. If you are struggling, speak to someone you can trust such as a friend, a parent or grandparent, a teacher you trust, your doctor or Childline.
Behaviours that challenge
It can be difficult for all of us to manage our big emotions; it can be particularly tricky for children and young people with neurodevelopmental profiles. They can become distressed or frustrated by the difficulties they experience on a day-to-day basis and communicate this through behaviours that challenge us. This behaviour can look like: being moody, saying hurtful things, hitting someone, breaking or throwing things, or refusing to do something they have been asked to do.
Why does it happen?
We can all feel overwhelmed at times and children and young people are no different. Some young people may be aware of how they are feeling and notice when they are starting to become frustrated. Others may find this more difficult and not yet know what their ‘triggers’ are. There are many strategies which young people can be supported to use to help them to manage their emotions.
What can I do?
- Help your young person to recognise what makes them feel this way
- Remember not to take everything personally
- Establishing potential triggers for challenging behaviour
if you are concerned about the mental health and wellbeing of your child you can contact our Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
Additional Resources: