does my 6 year old have mental health problems?

[pillsthrillsandbellyaches]

i was in the car with my ds (6) the other day and he said "whats that noise?"

i said i couldn't hear anything and he said it was a clicking noise in his head like someone standing behind him taking photos.

i said that sometimes you can move your jaw slightly and hear a wee muscle in your ear clicking.

after a minute he said "oh yeah! but thats not it. its in my head, not my ear"

i asked him if it was there all the time and he said yes, but he can't hear it if he's shouting or screaming. (we'd been at the local soft play)

i tried not to make too much of a big deal out of it. i told him i didn't know what it could be.

he didn't seem overly fussed, but i must admit i am kinda freaking out slightly. he hasn't mentioned it since (it was on sat), but i can't help thinking about schizophrenia, and worrying that he has mental health problems.

does anyone know anything about this? or have any similar experience or knowledge?

TIA.

How is his general behaviour/development? If there is nothing else then I wouldnt worry. It might be worth getting his ears checked out. Some kids have an overactive imagination. I used to hear sounds when I was little, although not clicking (feel a little stupid now, as never told anyone)

It doesn't sound like schizophrenia, unless there's any other symptoms you haven't mentioned. Are you linking clicking noises with hearing voices?

I think it's worth a discussion with your GP, but I bet if there's any explanation it will be something physiological.

thanks, i think i will def take him to gp and ask for hearing check.

should prob have posted on health too. doh! sorry.

tinnitus?

It could easily be something as innocent as congestion or ear-wax. If there's any gunk knocking about in the tubes connecting ears and nose it can result in popping, crackling or clicking noises. Seriously doubt it's a mental health issue.

ds gets crackling noises when he's got an ear infection/cold (hes now 8 but this has been going on for years)

Obv I'm not a doctor butI really don't think its a mental health issue.

My Dd1 hears voices and noises which come and go in relation to her anxiety. She sees a psychiatrist now because of anxiety issues and Asperger's syndrome. When we mentioned the voices to the psychiatrist she said that a surprisingly high proportion of children hear voices at some point in their childhood and she was not at all worried. It's just a part of her imagination. It's not unusual or worrying and we just accept it as a normal part of her life now and it isn't a worry.

My brother suffers with schizophrenia. I'm not an expert but the common age when this illness presents is teenage years, notably late teens. I have never ever ever heard of mental health symptoms like this in a child this young.

It is probably some sort of ear infection/hearing problem.

or maybe just a lovely sensation that he is enjoying.

Without sounding harsh, I don't quite understand why you are freaking out and have jumped to worry about mental health symptoms in a 6 year old. Are there other underlying factors?

Oops just read Al1son's post - stand corrected about 'voices' symptoms in young child!

sounds a bit like tinnitus?