Can a child slowly become mentally ill?

Question: i have a brother who is 10 years old. he is slowly becoming mentally slow every day. I don't think it's possible, but i think he's becoming or developing a mental illness. He can't do simple task such as showering, brushing teeth, opening a can with the can opener, etc. Things that he has already learned how to do. He can't keep up in school anymore. The other day he thought mashed potatos were ice cream. ( he wasn't kidding). We have lived in the same house for 8 years now. About a week ago he asked me where the bathroom was. He wasn't like this before. I hate to say, but he's getting dumber and dumber each day. But here's the odd part, he can play and beat games like Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider, X-Men, The Sims, and the list goes on. My parents fight over this all the time. And it is splitting the family apart. My step-dad doesn't want to get him tested, he thinks it's just a phase. My mom thinks he's autistic or whatever. My grandma thinks he's got a memory problem. Help me out!

Answers:
Let's say that he is serious and not joking around then....How fast did this "memory loss" develop? What you are describing is not usually associated with a mental illness. He needs to see a Dr/pedi ASAP. He is 10 years old and now not able to do tasks/remember things that he once could? This is usually a sign of a medical/physical problem. Do you live near woods? Has he been around ticks? Has he been exposed to any illegal drugs? Even if it is a mental illness, he would need to be seen by a medical doctor first to rule out physical/environmental causes. He needs to see a medical doctor.

---

im not a doctor, but it does sound a little like autism to me, your dad sounds like he's in denial, he prob does not want to admit that something is very wrong....for the sake of your brother and the familly, he definatly should be taken to a doctor....

---

---

More Questions and Answers

• How are things going?
• I've being taking 50mg of zoloft and 1mg of klonopin in the morning, but i'am still feeling some anxiet
• Birthdays are they depressing when no one remembers, and why do we care?
• have you ever wondered how much weight it would take to crush someones skull?
• Anyone ever been to a psychotherapist?
• What manner of death is your greatest fear?
• Can long term drug (cocaine) and alcohol abuse cause bipolar disorder or bipolar - like behavior?
• What does caffeine actually do to us?