\u201cSome kids are just naughty.\u201d People say this either with a shrug of the shoulders and a little laugh or with jaws clenched and nostrils flaring.
\nKids go through phases. Toddlers go through terrible twos. Big kids experience first crushes and heartbreaks. Teens and young adults battle with finding their identities while learning to be independent. We can all understand that these phases can take a toll on a kid. <\/p>\n
Between the ups and downs, the whirlwind of emotions, and the chaos of it all, how can we tell whether we have a problem child or a child with problems? When do we stop thinking kids are just acting up and when do we start asking if they need help?<\/p>\n
According to Mental Health America, \u201cchildren\u2019s mental health problems are real, common, and treatable. Although one in five children has a diagnosable mental health problem, nearly two-thirds of them get little or no help.\u201d<\/p>\n
The following signs may indicate the need for professional help:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Decline in school performance<\/p>\n
\u2022 Poor grades despite strong efforts<\/p>\n
\u2022 Constant worry or anxiety<\/p>\n
Repeated refusal to go to school or to take part in normal activities<\/p>\n
Hyperactivity or fidgeting<\/p>\n
\u2022 Persistent nightmares<\/p>\n
\u2022 Persistent disobedience or aggression<\/p>\n
\u2022 Frequent temper tantrums<\/p>\n
\u2022 Depression, sadness or irritability<\/p>\n
(From: Mental Health America, https:\/\/www.mhanational.org\/recognizing-mental-health-problems-children)<\/p>\n
Whether a child is acting up because of a phase they\u2019re going through or reaching out for help for a deeper issue, remember to be patient and kind. We\u2019ve all been there. They are, after all, just kids. <\/p>\n
If you feel that you or someone you know has been discriminated against because of a mental illness, please contact the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness, or PAIMI, program at the Northern Marianas Protection & Advocacy Systems, Inc. at 670-235-7273\/4 or visit us on the web at www.nmpasi.org, www.facebook.com\/NMPASI, and follow us on Instagram @nmpasi670.<\/p>\n
SHARLEEN SABLAN (Special to the Saipan Tribune)<\/strong> \u201cSome kids are just naughty.\u201d People say this either with a shrug of the shoulders…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":331237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-363574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363574"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363574\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nSharleen Sablan is a project specialist at the Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy Systems Inc.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"