Anxiety/depression spinoff

[nicolewi]

So I have a couple of anxious kids. But we just kind of figured between us and their pediatrician that they had anxiety and it was clear and they’ve done some therapy. Is there any value in pursuing some kind of more comprehensive, formal evaluation? I see people talking about Doing some kind of psychosocial evaluation process and getting some kind of official
results. If we know there are some issues and we are already working on that, would this do anything more for us? I think it would be likely pretty expensive and applied towards my deductible.

with my oldest, sometimes I think she might have some mild add mixed in… but if she does, and if it is mild, would that even change anything? And with my youngest, sometimes I wonder if she has a few sensory things, too. But again, it’s not been a big issue.

[acr]

We just went through a neuropsych evaluation for my 7 yo DD with anxiety. Her therapist recommended doing it to determine if there is anything else impacting the anxiety. For us, we wanted guidance on the appropriate accommodations to seek in school. We don't have results yet - that will be next week.

As I thought about it, I realized that we may want to adjust our approaches with DD if her anxiety was impacted by being on the spectrum, ADD, etc.

[mrsGreeko]

If there’s potentially ADHD I do think there is a benefit to knowing that. Medicating for ADHD makes kids much less likely to self medicate in the teen years and become addicted. Knowing how your brain works and why you are the way you are can also offer a lot of relief. Understanding that you have a lower level of dopamine and that’s why you seek out dangerous situations for the dopamine is good to know so you can learn how to manage it in a healthy manner.

My oldest told me she thought she had ADHD when she was in 6th grade. I blew it off because she was doing okay in my opinion (turns out I was willfully ignoring some things because denial is powerful and she was falling into depression) and I had negative thoughts about ADHD meds. Fast forward to a couple years after that when my youngest son was diagnosed with ADHD (he had a much much more obvious case being a boy) and all of a sudden ADHD meds weren’t the terrible awful thing I thought they were. And fast forward a few more years and dealing with my oldest and her dopamine seeking behaviors not understanding the whys and her depression deepening…. Ultimately she got diagnosed at almost 16 finally and for her the relief was overwhelming. Meds for ADHD have helped as has understanding her brain and why it is the way it is and figuring out ways to utilize that in a healthy manner. She’s majoring in something that will be good for a dopamine seeker such as herself because she understands that part of herself now.

I know there’s a lot of stigma around ADHD and ADHD meds. I was a person who was firmly in the “over diagnosed” “doesn’t need meds for that” category. But, after reading the research about the damage that can be done without meds and seeing with my own eyes the damage happening in front of my face with my kids and seeing the turnarounds with meds I have completely changed my tune.



ETA: girls, especially very bright girls mask so well. So while you might think mild, it might also be fantastic masking, which takes a major toll on a person. Also you should know that depression that is untreated or not well managed can influence the ADHD testing. My oldest’s depression (from her ADHD and the damage done to her self worth) was not well managed when we did the initial ADHD testing, so the neuropsychologist determined it was “just” the depression. Spoiler alert, it wasn’t, but it took 2 additional years to get the ADHD diagnosis, in which she spiraled downward quite a bit. If only we could have avoided those years.

[waverly]

If you suspect ADHD and are having issues, then I think an evaluation would be good.

DS has EF issues, but I suspect they are related to giftedness and not ADHD. And he doesn't have clinical anxiety or depression. Doesn't need therapy etc.

So that is kind of my cut off where I see that your daughter needs additional mental health supports versus one who doesn't need mental health supports.  Not trying to discourage testing for anyone who wants it; just kind of my reasoning. 

For sensory processing, we did OT so I would start there for sensory stuff.

[thebreakfastclub]

I'd pursue medication for anxiety.

[gretchenindisguise]

I would do an assessment to rule out ADHD. Like pp said, it is often overlooked and underdiagnosed in girls. There is a saying that ADHD rarely walks along - it is often comorbid with anxiety and depression.

We would not have been able to make the progress with our 14yos anxiety had we not also been able to diagnose and treat the adhd. The medications are safe, effective, and protective.

[devonpow]

The neuropsych eval was really beneficial for us because it gave us an exact diagnosis and eliminated other things that can be closely related to anxiety, so we knew exactly what we were dealing with and therefore what therapy would work best. If we had needed to proceed for an IEP or accommodations we would have needed documentation to support our requests, and it was helpful when we decided to move forward with medication for his anxiety.

Also, I love that the eval also shows his strengths and how he learns in general. It’s not just about determining an “issue” but explaining how their brain works and what styles of learning really complement them.

[grover]

We treated my daughter's anxiety with just therapy for a year. Then, it became obvious that just therapy wasn't enough when she started having regular panic attacks. Just two months before turning 7 we started some anxiety meds. Immediately the panic attacks went away and she started eating full meals and trying new foods after eating like a bird for a very long time.

However, we started getting phone calls from school and noticing at home some impulsive behaviors that previously were masked. We are in the middle of the neuropsych eval now, and should have the final report in May. While we may or may not move forward with meds for ADHD at this time, this will allow her some additional supports at school with a 504 for breaks and being allowed to move as needed (ie, she really likes standing while working instead of sitting)

[imimahoney]

Yes.

From the school perspective, they will likely need official documentation if a 504 is needed.

My kids both have adhd with a large dose of anxiety mixed in. Their behaviors, triggers, and coping mechanisms have changed a lot over the years. Having a formal eval helps if you ever need to move beyond therapy and the pediatrician.

[jg183]

a comprehensive eval can look at strengths as well as challenges and as they get older you can play on the strengths to get them through some tougher situations. Also as someone else said there is research that kids with undiagnosed adhd and anxiety tend to self medicate in teen years and at least you would have the information from an eval- the eval just gives you the information- what you decide to do with it is then up to you (pursue meds, etc)

Girls tend to mask more especially because a lot of their issues are as outward but more inward

[scm1011]

My DD (almost 5) has a neuropsych evaluation scheduled for early June. She is a very very anxious kid, but a lot of her behaviors/quirks uncannily mirror a friend’s older son has been diagnosed with ADHD so I’m curious. I would never think of her as someone with ADHD (she plays independently well and can focus on tasks), but I know it can present differently in girls. So, we’ll see.

[erbear]

An anxiety diagnosis could open up IEP accommodations (extra time, separate space, etc)