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Low mood/depression in 6-year-old

Michelle&Sam

Hi everyone!

We have just been on a 3 week holiday abroad with my 6-year-old son, with ASD. 

I was a bit shocked and saddened by some of his thoughts and comments while away. 

These included things like:

  • What is wrong with my brain
  • I hate myself
  • Why am I sad all the time
  • Why am I not like other children 
  • I have bad thoughts
  • I'll hurt myself to make it better

I had no idea that a 6 year old (he only turned 6 a week ago) was capable of understanding the brain and the concepts he came out with.

He does not sleep well, he is scared of the dark and 'his imagination in his own words. Last night, when putting him to bed, I played classical meditation sleep music. He started crying and asked my why thr music makes him so sad.

I am now really worried about his mental state. We are in Scotland, and due to the long waiting lists went private to get his diagnoses. I would imagine getting NHS help with this would be the same. So here is my question:

A) who should we go and see (this will be private again)

B) has anyone else experienced this in their child?

Thank you,

Michelle

Parents

  • As a 45 year old autistic adult who's only just been diagnosed, I can tell you that I absolutely felt like this when I was six years old.

    We used to do prayers before bed as a family, and my prayer was always "help me have nice dreams and nice thoughts with no nasty parts in them."  I have always had trouble sleeping because my brain is still trying to process all the social interactions that went wrong and imagine ways that I could make things better.

    School was frightening and other children didn't invite me to play with them.  When they did, I didn't know what I was supposed to do, so I either got bossed around or told off for not doing it right.

    It's easy for a child to recognise that they're different.  Even if they don't, other children will let them know.  It's lonely and it hurts.

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  • As a 45 year old autistic adult who's only just been diagnosed, I can tell you that I absolutely felt like this when I was six years old.

    We used to do prayers before bed as a family, and my prayer was always "help me have nice dreams and nice thoughts with no nasty parts in them."  I have always had trouble sleeping because my brain is still trying to process all the social interactions that went wrong and imagine ways that I could make things better.

    School was frightening and other children didn't invite me to play with them.  When they did, I didn't know what I was supposed to do, so I either got bossed around or told off for not doing it right.

    It's easy for a child to recognise that they're different.  Even if they don't, other children will let them know.  It's lonely and it hurts.

Children