Children, like adults, can experience difficulties, whether cognitive, emotional, and/or social in nature. It is wrong to think that, because they are children, they are exempt from problems and/or psychological suffering… it is common to label certain behaviors as “tantrums” or “spoiled behavior” and thus devalue the real meaning behind them.
In childhood, individuals do not yet have the capacity to express their feelings, thoughts, and problems, nor often even to detect and understand them, frequently communicating through their behavior. Adult caregivers should therefore support children in order to stimulate their emotional intelligence, so that they learn to cope with situations that may arise in an adaptive way and, eventually, to seek specialized help. This help may also be necessary when other factors/problems occur, such as: anxiety, difficulty concentrating and hyperactivity, difficulty relating to others (e.g., with schoolmates), reasoning difficulties, phobias and fears, sleep difficulties (e.g., nightmares, night terrors), inappropriate behaviors, elimination disorders (e.g., bedwetting at an age when it is no longer expected), difficulty coping with external situations/events (e.g., parental divorce), among others.
Using these examples, it is important for adults (e.g., family members, teachers) to pay attention to the signs that the child shows, including, at times, physical symptoms without an apparent medical explanation, which may be reflecting their emotional state (e.g., recurring stomach aches may signal anxiety).
Following childhood comes adolescence, a time of transformation (physical and psychological), experiences, new responsibilities, expectations, doubts, and the formation of one's own identity, as well as the development of autonomy. All of this requires adaptability, both from adolescents and parents, who also need to reinvent themselves in their relationship with their children, always respecting their identity and individuality.
Since this is a phase of new experiences and discoveries, it is important for adults to be aware of potential risk behaviors that may arise, such as substance experimentation (e.g., tobacco and/or alcohol), school problems (e.g., decreased academic performance, problems with classmates, truancy), aggressive behavior, social media addiction, among others. Along with this, anxiety and/or depression, eating disorders, and difficulties coping with significant life events (positive or negative) may also emerge.
Psychological consultations emerge as a fundamental resource for the well-being of children and adolescents, playing not only an interventional but also a preventative role. Furthermore, they can also assist in vocational guidance, since it is during this phase that the first important decisions of their lives arise, particularly at the academic/professional level. It is normal for doubts and uncertainties to arise about what they want and the future, lack of information, and unrealistic expectations… With this responsibility, they may feel “lost” and/or pressured, generating anxiety.
So, if you have identified any of these difficulties in your child/student, seek out a specialized professional.
Dr. Telma Gomes – Taipas Termal Mental Therapy Health Unit
