Don’t ignore your children’s abnormal behaviour, Psychiatrist cautions parents
A Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Maymunah Kadiri, on Monday advised parents to always seek professional help whenever they noticed that their children were behaving abnormally.
Kadiri, the Psychiatrist-in-Chief of Pinnacle Medical Services, gave the advice in an interview with the in Lagos.
She said that most parents were in the habit of ignoring their children whenever they (children) exhibited some abnormal behaviours to them.
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Kadiri’s advice came on the heels of the recent killing of a Nigerian woman in Texas, USA, by her 20-year-old son.
The psychiatrist said information from the culprit’s friends revealed that he was behaving abnormally, touching people randomly before he committed the act.
Kadiri said it was also gathered that the boy was talking to himself and altering words that people could not understand before the incident.
She said: “Dear parents, it is great to pray and cover our children with prayers, but don’t trivialise these issues when your child reveals them to you.
“Don’t be in denial and associate these issues with spiritual attack.
“Let the Holy Spirit that is directing you to pray, also direct you to seek for professional help for your child,” she said.
The expert further advised parents to build a culture of compassion where they could learn to listen without being judgmental to understand their problems.
She advised parents not to just listen to respond to their children as the response might not be what the children wanted at these periods of emotional instability.
Kadiri also urged parents to stop sending their children to schools outside the country when they knew they could not cope.
”Don’t leave things to chances, life is full of ups and downs.
“If you have a child schooling abroad, automatically know you are schooling too.
” Have access to the school portal, have their timetable merged with your activities, call often if you can’t call daily.
“Send email, chat, video call and ensure you have a trusted guardian or mentor for your child.
“Our common saying of ‘it is well, God is in control; It’s not my portion, It’s a spiritual attack,’ don’t come to play when the child is experiencing a mental illness,” she said.
According to her, studies have shown that one out of every four people in the world will have a mental illness in their life time.
Kadiri identified vulnerability factors, migrations, sudden freedom, financial stress and racism as some of the reasons young people were coming down with mental health issues.
(NAN)
