My 6-year-old is Hurting Himself

[bontracy]

Recently, my 6-year-old has started hurting himself.  He has always been a sensitive child who will often cry, but once it is "out of his system," he is fine.  He is bright, but he has an I.E.P. in place for speech services.  He recently began punching himself in the head and pinching his face when he feels he is in trouble, as well as calling himself stupid or an idiot.  

Four days ago he began to cry and painfully pinch his forehead because he got an answer wrong at school.  That same day he began to punch himself in the head because he thought he was in trouble for scribbling on another student's paper.  When his teacher took him outside the room to talk about it, he cried and said, "I'm just not cut out to be a student!"  This alarmed her since she'd never seen this behavior out of him before.  In fact, in her 15 + years of teaching, she's seen this type of self-harm only one other time.  We first saw this behavior at home eight days ago.  He snatched a toy from his little brother and was scolded and made to apologize.  He began to punch himself in the head and call himself stupid.

In talking with my son extensively over the past few days, he has told me and his dad that his brain tells him to do things that will get him trouble.  He has also stated that when his brain calls him stupid or an idiot, sometimes it is his voice, but sometimes it sounds like a monster.  He has asked to go back to his old school because his new school "isn't fun anymore" and "his brain doesn't work 'cuz it's loud sometimes."  Sending him back to his old school isn't possible because my job is in the school he is currently attending.  Needless to say, I am at a loss.  

We are going to make an appointment with his pediatrician this week and get a referral for a child therapist/psychologist.  I'm very worried, as there is a strong family history of mental illness from his father's side.  My husband has dealt with depression and anxiety since the age of 11 and was diagnosed as manic depressive about eight years ago.  

Since this is a recent development, I hope this is simply his way of dealing with stress.  Any other insights would be greatly appreciated!

[RubyWitch]

I am so sorry you are dealing with what must be very disturbing and mysterious behavior. You and your husband are doing the right thing by seeing his doctor and a child psycologist. Since this is such recent behavior I am sure that will make it easier for the therapist to find the root cause behind it.
This is, of course, very easy for me to say, but try not to assume the worst. It could be something as simple as frustration over school work. Perhaps he is in too advanced a class for his current skills. We started our son in Kindergarten when he had been 6 for only a week. It was a big mistake. He was so ready "socially" to be in school, but acedemically, he was not. They ended up testing him for a learning disorder. Which, by the way, he didn't have. It was all our fault for "pushing" him.

Even if your son does have something going on, you have caught it very, very early and with therapy and possibly some medication, I'm sure he will return to being the bright and happy little boy he was just a few weeks ago.

As a parent, I know it would be stupid to say "try not to worry." Instead I'll say "have faith that they WILL be able to help him."

I hope you let us know how you're all doing.
Peace
Greenlydia