Temper Tantrums and Meltdowns

These are brief episodes of vocal and/or physical outbursts that occur in response to frustration or distress.

All children experience them. They can occur on a daily basis before age 3.

If they persist past age 3, they may be indicative of underlying psychiatric illness, including ADHD, DMDD, autism, anxiety, or depression.

Not infrequently, children who experience outbursts end up being labeled as “bad,” “oppositional,” “defiant,” or even “manipulative.” These are very harsh labels that can have a negative impact on a child’s self-esteem and their ability to succeed in life. Not to mention that these labels are most often inaccurate and they tend to be applied to children who are highly intelligent, loving, and kind, but who struggle to understand and regulate their emotions.

Psychiatric consultation is very important to help determine if a certain behavior - such as outbursts - is concerning and to assess for possible underlying causes. Understanding the causes allows us to develop unique, personalized solutions to reduce and even eliminate temper tantrums.

The consultation needs to be performed by board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrists (M.D. or D.O. physicians). These are doctors who are experts in pediatric mental health and they are most qualified to establish accurate diagnoses and prescribe safe and effective therapy and medication treatments.

Treatment of meltdowns and outbursts can be truly life-changing for a child and their family.