My boyfriends son suffers from depression and anxiety.?

Question:

He NEVER has eaten fruits or vegetables doesn't drink juice and does not take any vitamin supplements. He is 9 years old. They want to treat him with medication but I believe it is caused by lack of the proper nutrients. He always has stomachaches and does not want to go anywhere or do anything and has no friends. I have watched this develop for the past 4 years, getting worse by the day. What advice can I offer. I've tried to feed him fruits and veggies but he won't eat them. He is also slow with his hand coordination and his speech sounds like a 4 year old. What can I do. This has affected everyone around him. We are all stressed. We have become prisoners to how HE feels. What can we do?

Answers:
try sneaking the fruits and vegetables into food he likes.pizza, spaghetti, jello, even icecream, give him foods that have a lot of vitamins in them, such as cereal and whole grain breads, since you are so concerned about his diet.
he also needs professional help. it sounds like he is already receiving this, but, if not, he needs to talk to a therapist, even if his problems are nutritional. after four years, it has probably developed into a more serious problem, and simply feeding him fruit won't fix everything. now, i'm not endorsing the use of drugs, especially in someone so young, but they may be helpful if other treatments, such as counseling, diet & exercise changes, and behavioral therapy don't seem to work. has he been diagnosed by a professional, or do you just think that he has depression and anxiety? he may have a learning disability, OCD, and/or social development problems, as well as the depression/anxiety. before treatment begins, he needs a definite diagnosis. also, if he was diagnosed years ago, his problems may have changed or he may have developed new issues (this is fairly common). find a psychiatrist that he and his father feel comfortable with, and follow their suggestions. talk with a nutritionist and the boy's doctor about his diet, maybe they could explain to him how important eating healthy is, and what will happen if he doesn't, then tell him (and you) how to change eating habits. set a good example for him, and offer healthy snacks after school. it sounds like he does have a psychological problem, as well as a nutritional one, and he needs treatment for both. make sure the therapist (find one that specializes in children) knows of your concerns about his diet, this is important information, and may dictate the proper treatment.
oh, and the physical problems, such as stomach aches, may actually be caused by depression. i know it sounds odd, but it's true. the prolonged stress and sadness can cause stomach problems, headaches, clumsiness, etc.
good luck to all of you!

Other Answers:
This sounds pretty serious, especially if he doesn't eat fruits or vegetables, it would make perfect sense that a lack of these foods would make him depressed, lethargic and god knows what else!

You have to try to get his parents to enforce a new eating regieme upon him, otherwise he is likely to become worse, and have serious development issues.

Maybe you could suggest taking him to a nutritionist, to find ways to encourage him to eat more healthily and maybe speak to a doctor who specialises in behavioural issues, to see how you can encourage him to be more social amongst his peers?

Poor you though, good luck!

Well for one thing do not allow a 9 yo to dictate his own diet-he's a child, uneducated about nutrition, and possibly not in his right mind or even capable of properly understanding the concept due to malnutrition-that's why adults take care of children in the first place-they don't know about all of this stuff yet-it's up to us to teach them (and force them-don't give him anything else, and make a serious attempt to make tasty helathy food, and eventually he will have to eat what is given to him).

Allergies to wheat or dairy can cause autism-like symtoms try a rotation diet http://www.thewayup.com/newsletters/021500.htm
Source(s):
Also check out alternativementalhealth.com
it's a great nonprofit site that has wonderful resources to find a multitude of symptoms and illnesses that can be cured through nutrition.

get him food allergy tests.Maybe it has something to do with that if he is getting stomach aches.make sure he doesn't go on paxil.lots of people are getting suicidal by taking paxil

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My boyfriends son suffers from depression and anxiety.?

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