The Seed of our mental health symptoms such as ADHD, Anxiety, and Panic may be sown in our childhood.
by Mental Health Treatment
Emmanuel, raised by his family, is an active explorer and eager to grab any new object he sees.
He moves it from hand to hand, and brings it up to his mouth for example.
He is completely absorbed by the activity, and pays little attention to those around him. Christine, who regularly attends a nursery, does not behave much differently. She handles the block with both handsTries to stack them, and picks them up when they fall. She too is totally absorbed by the game. These two examples show us children whose families offer them complete security. On the other hand, when family conditions are unfavourable to the point of requiring a child’s removal from the home, the child’s behaviour will be affected as follows. Institutionalized children. Caroline, a victim of maternal neglect, is anorexic. She picks up one of the blocks, but shows only fleeting interest in playing. She frequently looks at the experimenters in the room. She engages in some play, but is preoccupied by those around herIn the next cases we also see increased attention paid by the child to his environment, and a correlating decrease in attention paid to the game.For example, Veronique, who is also anorexic, expresses refusal by raising her hands in an avoidance gesture. When she finally picks up a block, the worried looks she casts suggest anxiety. Her demeanor is passive, she does not play. Jean, who was removed from her home at a young age and institutionalized after several failed foster placements, carefully watches the movements of the psychologist. An emotionally deprived child may prioritize social contact, which could be motivated by the child’s intense desire to find a maternal substitute. Her curiosity in new objects is minimal. She accepts without resistance when the block is placed in her hand, but shows no real interest. René, whose case is similar, sits motionless in front of the blocks. After a while, he makes a motion for the block, but is plagued by such anxiety that little by little he becomes totally disinterested in the game and those around him. He withdraws into himself and take refuge in the self-soothing activity of thumb sucking. Annette who is also anorexic, has an attitude of immobility. She is completely disinterested in her surroundings. Her growing anxiety manifests by twitching lip movements and irregular breathing. Autism can be discerned from the vague gaze of this little girl. Here we see Colette, also deprived of affection and care, showing the same symptoms of autism and anxiety. She remains still, and breathes heavily. Thus, emotional deprivation provokes not only the anxiety that is well known to psychologists, but also inhibits the child’s exploratory instincts and curiosity in new objects, and may result in autism in the most serious cases.
Emmanuel, nurtured in his family environment, is a lively adventurer, keen to reach for any novel item within his sight. He passes it between his hands and often lifts it to his mouth to further explore, for instance. He is fully engrossed in the activity, scarcely noticing those around him. Similarly, Christine, who is a regular at a nursery, exhibits comparable behavior. She manipulates the blocks with both hands, attempts to stack them, and retrieves them upon falling. She, too, is deeply engaged in the play. These instances illustrate children from families that provide them with a sense of complete safety. Conversely, when family circumstances are so detrimental that they necessitate removing a child from their home, the child’s behavior will be noticeably altered. Take institutionalized children, for example. Caroline suffers from maternal neglect and is anorexic. She briefly interacts with a block, but her interest quickly wanes. Her frequent glances at the experimenters indicate a preoccupation with her surroundings rather than the play. Her play is sporadic, and she seems distracted by the people around her. In subsequent cases, we observe a child’s heightened awareness of their surroundings, inversely affecting their engagement with the play. For instance, Veronique, also suffering from anorexia, communicates rejection by lifting her hands in a defensive posture. When she does engage with a block, her anxious expressions convey a sense of worry. She remains passive and refrains from playing. Jean, taken from her home early and placed in institutions after several unsuccessful foster care experiences, intently observes the psychologist’s actions. A child lacking emotional support may seek social interaction, possibly in search of a maternal figure. Her interest in new items is barely noticeable. She passively accepts a block into her hand but doesn’t show genuine interest. René, in a similar situation, sits idly before the blocks. Eventually, he reaches for a block but is so overwhelmed by anxiety that he gradually loses all interest in the play and the people around him, retreating into the comforting act of thumb-sucking. Annette, another child with anorexia, displays a state of inactivity. She shows no interest in her environment, and her escalating anxiety is evident through her twitching lips and uneven breathing. Her vacant stare suggests autism. Colette, also starved of affection and care, exhibits similar signs of autism and anxiety. She sits motionless, breathing laboriously. Hence, emotional neglect not only triggers well-recognized anxiety among psychologists but also suppresses a child’s natural inclination to explore and be curious about new things, potentially leading to autism in the most severe scenarios.
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