How to know if your child needs help
Is it “just a phase,” or does your child need the support of a mental health or medical professional? Reviewing these signs and options can be a good first step in making a decision.
Look for common signs
If one or more of these signs is present, contact us to determine if professional support is needed.
Common signs:
• Persistent sadness and hopelessness for no reason
• Withdrawal from friendships, family and other important relationships and activities
• Very angry or irritable most of the time
• Crying a lot or overreacting to normal developmental experiences
• Feeling worthless, guilty, anxious, or worried
• Unable to get over a loss or death
• Extremely fearful or having unexplained fears
• Constantly concerned about physical problems or appearance
• Frightened that his or her mind is controlled or is out of control
• Worry about being harmed, hurting others, or doing something "bad"
• Feeling life is too hard to handle
Behavioral changes:
• Declining performance in school
• Losing interest in things once enjoyed
• Unexplained changes in sleeping or eating patterns
• Avoiding friends or family, wanting to be alone all the time
• Suicidal thoughts
• Inability to sit still or focus attention
• Using alcohol or other drugs
• Cutting self
• Engaging in physical fights
• Eating large amounts of food and then purging, or abusing laxatives
• Dieting and/or exercising obsessively
• Engaging in risky, life threatening activities
• A need to wash, clean things or perform certain routines hundreds of times a day in order to avoid an unsubstantiated danger
• Racing thoughts that are almost too fast to follow
• Persistent nightmares
Contact us if you’re unsure whether your child needs professional help, we encourage you to contact us at 877-488-6293 (MCYF) to learn if the Masonic Center for Youth and Families is right for you. During your initial call, we will schedule a confidential telephone conversation with one of our treatment managers. The scheduled call will last approximately 20 minutes. During that time, you will get the answers you need to decide your next steps.
Look for common signs
If one or more of these signs is present, contact us to determine if professional support is needed.
Common signs:
• Persistent sadness and hopelessness for no reason
• Withdrawal from friendships, family and other important relationships and activities
• Very angry or irritable most of the time
• Crying a lot or overreacting to normal developmental experiences
• Feeling worthless, guilty, anxious, or worried
• Unable to get over a loss or death
• Extremely fearful or having unexplained fears
• Constantly concerned about physical problems or appearance
• Frightened that his or her mind is controlled or is out of control
• Worry about being harmed, hurting others, or doing something "bad"
• Feeling life is too hard to handle
Behavioral changes:
• Declining performance in school
• Losing interest in things once enjoyed
• Unexplained changes in sleeping or eating patterns
• Avoiding friends or family, wanting to be alone all the time
• Suicidal thoughts
• Inability to sit still or focus attention
• Using alcohol or other drugs
• Cutting self
• Engaging in physical fights
• Eating large amounts of food and then purging, or abusing laxatives
• Dieting and/or exercising obsessively
• Engaging in risky, life threatening activities
• A need to wash, clean things or perform certain routines hundreds of times a day in order to avoid an unsubstantiated danger
• Racing thoughts that are almost too fast to follow
• Persistent nightmares
Contact us if you’re unsure whether your child needs professional help, we encourage you to contact us at 877-488-6293 (MCYF) to learn if the Masonic Center for Youth and Families is right for you. During your initial call, we will schedule a confidential telephone conversation with one of our treatment managers. The scheduled call will last approximately 20 minutes. During that time, you will get the answers you need to decide your next steps.