I apologize for not reading every post in this thread. If your child is struggling and reaching out for mental health assistance, please make sure they also receive a full physical exam including bloodwork.
By no means am I downplaying any mental health diagnosis. My husband has ADHD inattentive type and I’ve struggled with anxiety since childhood. My oldest has ADHD combined type which was identified very early. When my younger child started sitting down on the soccer field, walking away from lessons at school, having major meltdowns when sleep and meal schedules varied, and exhibiting strange behaviors, we immediately thought ADHD or ASD and put him on medication. Worst six weeks of my life! We took him to the ER for a psych eval (at a hospital with pediatric psychiatric services), and they sent us home with a list of counselors. I felt he needed at least a urinalysis, but didn’t push it. They didn’t do any medical testing that day. Six months later, his odd and confusing symptoms became crystal clear - type 1 diabetes.
My ADHD child is a high school senior this year. She did a year and a half of Covid hybrid school and otherwise remained isolated until vaccines were available due to our jobs and the type 1 diabetes. She went back to school in the fall, and the end of first term was a real struggle. She would come home from school and theater rehearsal and go straight to bed. She would sit and stare at her homework and cry. She just barely passed a class required for graduation.
In November, she started gaining weight. We were concerned that she wouldn’t have the bandwidth available for college. I took her for a physical in January (moving to family practice from pediatrician) and there it was - hypothyroidism. I looked back through her medical portal and her levels were normal 2 years ago when she last had bloodwork done. She’s been on thyroid medication for 5 weeks now (in addition to her antidepressant/AHDH med) and she’s got a 3.8 GPA this term and finally goes out with her friends in the evenings. The difference is night and day.
Mental health issues and autoimmune disease often go hand-in-hand, it’s a complicated dance. Covid and other viruses can trigger or unmask autoimmune problems.