The signs of mental illness in toddlers are frequent, extreme temper tantrums, excessive worry as well as difficulty separating from parents and caregivers, severe mood swings and developmental regressions.
Emotional and mood changes in toddlers with mental illness are persistent sadness, irritability, or severe mood swings that last longer than 2 weeks.
Behavioral issues like frequent and intense temper tantrums that are out of proportion to the situation and intense fear or anxiety like excessive worry, clinging behavior, fear of being alone or having frequent nightmares.
Social withdrawal like a sudden lack of interest in playing with others, withdrawal from family or becoming unresponsive, unexplained aches, pains, headaches or stomachaches and regressions like loss of previously learned skills such as speech or potty raining.
And in rare, severe cases of mental illness in toddlers, they may show self injurious behavior like hitting their head against something or biting or even talking about death or suicide.
All toddlers have tantrums, but if the tantrums and behaviors are intense or frequent, and interfere with their ability to play, function or eat and sleep it's important to consult with the toddlers pediatrician or a child mental health specialist.
The signs of trauma in toddlers are sudden changes in behavior like intense separation anxiety, regression in potty training, extreme clinginess, or changes in speech and sleep disturbances such as nightmares.
Other common indicators of trauma in toddlers are new and intense fears, changes in appetite, increased aggression or irritability and repetitive play which re-enacts the event that is upsetting to the toddler.
Excessive fear, being jumpy or more alert, hypervigilant, increased sadness, frequent mood swings, difficulty verbalizing and struggle to control their emotions are also signs of trauma in a toddler.
The key emotional and behavioral signs of trauma in toddlers include.
Emotional numbing like frozen watchfulness or seeming withdrawn, dazed or disengaged.
Traumatic play like repetitively acting out the scary event through play.
Aggression and impulsivity like increased biting, hitting or increased tantrums.
Clinginess and fear like excessive crying, panic when separated from parents or caregivers and a fear of strangers.
And reverting to earlier behaviors like thumb sucking, baby talk, bed wetting, pants wetting etc.
Some physical signs and biological signs of trauma in toddlers include.
Startle response like becoming easily frightened or jumpy.
Appetite changes like a sudden loss of appetite or overeating.
Somatic complaints like unexplained stomachaches, headaches or even a general physical pain.
Sleep issues like insomnia, fear of sleeping alone and even nightmares.
Trauma in toddlers often appear as a total loss of interest in play or a shift from a happy child to one that is very difficult to soothe.
A toddler that has trauma may also show generalized fearfulness and fear things that they never did before.