It is heartbreaking for a parent to see their child battle with anxiety. Parents want the best for their children, and they want them to grow up happy and emotionally resilient. But anxiety prevents children from enjoying things other children enjoy like making friends and attending school.
All of us with children are well versed in the challenges of helping our little ones navigate through episodes of frustration or unusual behavior. Tantrums or unexpected actions most always have a cause – and parents who work down the typical checklist of tiredness, hunger, sickness, need of attention, boredom or something similar can usually isolate the culprit that is leading to their behavior.
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a childhood condition of extreme irritability, anger, and frequent, intense temper outbursts. DMDD symptoms go beyond a being a “moody” child—children with DMDD experience severe impairment that requires clinical attention. DMDD is a fairly new diagnosis, appearing for the first time in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published in 2013.
Does your child get much more excited and active than other kids his or her age? Do other people say your child is too excited or too moody? Do you notice he or she has highs and lows much more often than other children? Do these mood changes affect how your child acts at school or at home?
