I seek only a child therapist, psych, or psychiatrist who will call me back.

[Anonymous]

My dentist's office can manage to call me within a few hours to set an appointmento for a cleaning. Ditto, my very in demand doctor'say office.

Today I left urgent voice mails with three different family therapy places, because frankly, this is kind of an emergency. My always a little sensory child has gone from having an occasional outburst to talking about harming herself every day. If I thought this was leading to an actual suicide attempt, yes I would call 911-but my kid doesn't even know what suicide is.

Still, I'm very concerned.

Not one place called me back. Not one.

Can anyone recommend a place in the DC or near Silver Spring?

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I don't have suggestions but I have found these places can take 1-2 days to call back.

[Anonymous]

Have you talked to her pediatrician. My nephew had what was basically a nervous breakdown when he was 5. My sister called the doctor frantic who was able to get him into see a pediatric therapist that day. (The doctor stayed in the office later to see my nephew).

[Anonymous]

Go to pediatrian. Therapists/psychiatrists take time and process. If she is threatening to hurt herself take to emergency room.

[Anonymous]

Pediatrician can give anxiety medicine (intuniv) to calm kid down. Make sure she's getting good nutrition, exercise and sleep. If sleep is difficult you can use melatonin.

[Anonymous]

So, I need to see my pediatrician, who will give me intermediary drugs, or terrify my eight year old with a trip to the psych er ward? No one here can just recommend a practice that's administratively organized enough to see new patients?

[Anonymous]

From my Experience, very few places take child psych cases immediately without a referral. I'm not sure why you don't want to go the route of talking to whatever doctor you see for The sensory issues. Presumably they have a history with her where they know she's not in Er crisis mode.

And to be fair, a therapist is going to do the same as the pediatrician at first. Either medicate to at least get her stable enough to begin treatment or decide she's in immediate danger and send her to the hospital.

For the record, I'm the poster with the nephew. My sister found him banging his head Against the wall to the point of drawing blood because "he just had to and couldn't stop" and he wasn't rushed to the ER/psych ward.

[Anonymous]

My advice would be to take her to Children's Hospital ER. They can fast track a referral to one of their specialists or take her inpatient for a day or two and start her on medications, and then find you the professionals you need going forward.

It is hard when you don't have an existing relationship with a child psychologist/psychiatrist.

[Anonymous]

I will take her to my pediatrician. I will not start her on random Medication, because she's not banging her head against the wall. She's having issues with some kids at school, she's upset and she needs help... not being in a locked ward.

I actually thought maybe some people here could recommend someone. That's it. These responses are upsetting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will take her to my pediatrician. I will not start her on random Medication, because she's not banging her head against the wall. She's having issues with some kids at school, she's upset and she needs help... not being in a locked ward.

I actually thought maybe some people here could recommend someone. That's it. These responses are upsetting.

You need to calm down so you can help your child.
The responses here are correct - call your Ped, explain it's an emergency and ask them to assist you in getting an appt quickly.

Do not say you won't give your kid meds, that very cruel. A highly anxious child that is suffering enough to want to do self harm deserves the relief that anti anxiety drugs can provide. Don't make your child suffer more.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately there aren't enough child psychologists around. I think that's why you are having problems finding someone to get back to you. Maybe you would have better luck calling a social worker.

[Anonymous]

Don't call me cruel. I'm trying to find a gentle way to get my child help that does not involve taking her to the emergency room and getting her committed. If that were necessary, I'd do it.

But all I wanted here were some names. We haven't lived in DC long, my pediatrician barely knows my child. The counselor at her school, whom I have seen about this, gave me the names of some camps to check for summer. But without an evaluation... we can't go to them. Also, for what it is worth, when we first did move to Dc, six months ago, I did ask the pediatrician. She gave me a few names, most of which were impossible commutes.... and the ones that we could get to? You guessed it. Never called us back.

At that point, I decided to go with the school's support and not pursue this. Now I am trying to find something better. This entire conversation has been just as disheartening.

[Anonymous]

My child's school, had also just tossed the ball back to us, so to speak. They said that since there is no academic need, they don't need to do an evaluation. They said they didn't want to brand my child as having "emotional problems." I am still not sure what that means. But forgive me, while I'm hitting my head against brick walls, it would be nice to have some advice on how to navigate this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't call me cruel. I'm trying to find a gentle way to get my child help that does not involve taking her to the emergency room and getting her committed. If that were necessary, I'd do it.

But all I wanted here were some names. We haven't lived in DC long, my pediatrician barely knows my child. The counselor at her school, whom I have seen about this, gave me the names of some camps to check for summer. But without an evaluation... we can't go to them. Also, for what it is worth, when we first did move to Dc, six months ago, I did ask the pediatrician. She gave me a few names, most of which were impossible commutes.... and the ones that we could get to? You guessed it. Never called us back.

At that point, I decided to go with the school's support and not pursue this. Now I am trying to find something better. This entire conversation has been just as disheartening.

So keep her home from school for two days and have a five day weekend. Your options are: pediatrician and deal w process for therapist. Camp will not solve whatever issues she has so move that to end of line. You've got to get a grip so you can instill confidence for your child because there are no quick fixes. Btdt.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry you couldn't get the Answers you wanted. But other than one pp, the answers have been trying to give good advice. Pretty much everyone agrees she needs help and not a locked ward. Anyways unless your child is saying repeatedly that she has a set plan for killing herself or someone else, lOcking someone in a psych ward isn't done.

So there seem to be a couple issues at play. 1. The current issue of her being very upset and 2. Her having some emotional/sensory issues. The best place to start is your own ped. They won't just willy nilly give your kid meds if you don't want them. From the sounds of it it may be more of a "no one likes me! I get picked on. I wish I'd never been born. I should just die" and other comments like this? Not "normal" per se but a common way for a kid that age to deal with those feelings. That's Quite different from "I'm so stupid. I shouldn't be alive. I'm going to take this knife and stab myself". That's a bit more serious (although still nowhere near entering psych ward territory).

It sounds as though a referral to a developmental pediatrician would also serve your daughter quite well. This forum is a wealth of information on Those doctors.

I know it's frustrating to feel like you are up against the wall. But going to the pediatrician and saying "I've called the people you recommended and no one Has called back. She really needs to see someone ASAP because she's miserable. Can you please do anything to help get her in to see someone?" Don't be combative. JUst be honest and say you've hit a dead end and you don't know what to try anymore because you feel like you can't get in to see anyone to at least start to get answers.