What would you do if you’re sick? The logical thing to do would be to go to the doctor and get some medicine that would help you become better. Even with the slightest concerning symptom, one would go to the doctor’s to get diagnosed. But what if the symptoms are vague and are not visible to the eyes that we thought it was nothing? What if the symptoms are so generic that we could not identify it as something that is ‘not normal’? What if the symptoms are in the form of daily behaviours that one could and would assume as mere high behavioural frequency? This is where psychologists come in.

First, let’s answer the age old question. Psychologists and psychiatrists, which is which? To simplify the answer, psychiatrists are doctors whereas psychologists are not. But that does not discount psychologists’ work in any way as both professions work together hand-in-hand. The way that they work is a person would first go to a psychiatrist to get assessed, then if needed, medications will be prescribed. Along with being given medication, said psychiatrist would then refer the client to a psychologist (therapist) who would provide aid in the form of counseling. Although it is also normal for one to go to a psychologist first before going to a psychiatrist. Nowadays assessment centers would put child psychologists and psychiatrists in the same room to assess a client together.

Like any professional profession, there are specialties that one could specialize in. In this case, child psychologists are psychologists who work with children as young as 2-3 years old to adolescents (18-19 years old). Children and adolescents at said age tend to be dealing with loss, stress (familial, school), coping with changes, learning disabilities and even mental illness. Yes, children as young as newborns could be facing stress and there are only negative impacts from it so it should be dealt with by nipping it in the bud, meaning children should get the support that they need before their condition becomes worse.

Going to the psychologist is not mandatory. Though like vitamins, they tend to be for precautions rather than for combative measures, they are more beneficial than one would think. We know that illnesses, be it physical or mental, is better prevented as early as possible. Psychological symptoms are harder to see as it could come in a form as simple as odd sleep cycles to complex ones as developing odd, aggressive behaviours towards certain people due to unknown reasons. 

Psychologists could help assess children as early as their symptoms could be diagnosed. It is hard for us who are not trained and taught to differentiate normal behaviour in a general setting and make a correct diagnosis of a child’s condition, most of us do not have the sensitivity as sharp as those who are trained in the field. Behavioural issues could be tricky, especially in children, as it is often dismissed as mere juvenile behaviour and nothing more, nothing to be worried about. In reality, if children start to develop odd interests (dark, ominous things such as death) and/or behaviours (torturing insects that develops to smaller animals, harming friends for no reason), immediate measures need to be taken immediately as said interest and/or behaviour could develop into a disorder.