Psychotic Childhood Disorders

Psychotic Childhood Disorders due occasionally occur primarily as a function of genetic endowment. These disorders include schizophrenia and manic depression. The symptoms of schizophrenia including hallucinations, affective disregulation and fears of anhilation are the most common. This child will require a complete psychiatric examination. A neuropsychological examination should also be used to rule out physical contributing factors such as: brain tumors, closed head trauma and brain infections. The course of treatment involves an attempt to limit the child’s symptoms while given the child the opportunity to maximize their otherwise course of development. Counseling will not remediate psychotic symptoms but can be used to help the child develop an appreciation of their own needs so that they may live around their symptoms. For instance, the child might learn to differentiate between an hallucination and reality with the goal of minimizing their experience of the hallucination. The child will be encouraged to report changing symptoms immediately to their medical prescribers rather than ignoring the symptoms so that appropriate medication changes can be made in a timely fashion. Families will benefit from counseling in that they would be assisted in maintaining a positive prospective about their child. They will be supported to maintain a consistent and supportive structure for the child.