Anger may be a symptom of different things. It could be a reaction to a change that happened in his/her life or it could be a psychiatric diagnoses. There are several psychiatric diagnosis in children that manifest as anger such as depression, ADHD, ODD, anxiety and bipolar. A child may not necessarily have bipolar disorder when he/she has frequent anger outbursts.
If you have tried to do what you think you could to handle these outbursts, yet have not seen any change in your child, consulting a professional is the best way to go. Individual therapy or even anger management groups may help. Sometimes, when the therapies do not help, your therapist might recommend that your child be evaluated by the psychiatrist to determine if the problems may be helped with the use of medication.
First, talk to the teacher about what she can do to help your child. Can she put him closer to her desk so that he/she won’t be too distracted? Do they have a reward system set up in class to motivate students to listen and follow instructions? Can she teach him/her some ways to be organized? At the same time, do the same things that the teacher is doing at home, i.e., providing your child a quiet place to study and do homework, teaching him/her ways to get organized like labeling his folders and bins and setting up a reward system. If in spite of all these helps/accommodations your child continues to struggle with the symptoms above, see your health care professional so that your child can be evaluated for ADHD. What are the different treatments for ADHD? Behavioral Modification and medications have always been the main treatment for ADHD. Often families try behavioral modification first. With the help of the therapist, families set up a reward system. The parents are also taught parenting skills and empowered to set limits to their children. When this modality is not enough, medication management may be tried. Combination of therapy and medication is the best treatment for ADHD.
ADHD is treated with either stimulants or non-stimulants. The stimulants include methylphenidates (Ritalin,Ritalin LA, Concerta, Metadate, Metadate CD,Methylin, Daytrana), desmethylphenidates (Focalin, Focalin XR), amphetamine salts (Adderall, Adderall XR)and dextroamphetamines (Dexedrine, Dextrostat, Vyvanse). The non-stimulants include atamoxetines (Strattera). Other non-stimulants that were approved to treat other things have been used as well such as buproprions (Wellbutrin), nortyptyline, clonidine, guanfacine, etc.
Stimulants may decrease the appetite and may cause insomnia. This is why it has to be taken with food. The lunch appetite is most affected. When the medication wears off in the afternoon or evening, the child will likely eat more. To prevent insomnia, the medication should not be given later than 10:00 am to give the medication enough time to get out of the system before bedtime. If these side effects continue to be a problem, let you child’s doctor know so that he/she can address this problem.
The studies have shown that after a few years, the children who took stimulants are likely to be about an inch shorter than their peers.
The data available shows that 50% of children diagnosed with ADHD will likely outgrow it during adulthood and the other 50% will never outgrow it.
The studies have shown that antidepressants increase suicidal thoughts by 4% in youth and taking a placebo (fake pill) increases suicidal thoughts by 2% in youth. Yet, in the study, none of the youth attempted suicide. On the other hand, untreated depression puts a youth at risk for suicidal thoughts 50% of the time. In fact, half of these youth will attempt suicide and some of them were successful. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents. It is BEST to treat youth with antidepressants and follow up with them closely. Psychotherapy in conjunction with medication is very essential in treating these youth.
Talk to his/her psychiatrist about other options to stabilize his/her mood. Limiting their caloric intake, giving them healthy, nutritious food will help. Encouraging them to stay active and regularly exercise about an hour everyday is a must especially if they are already overweight or obese.