6yr Old says she hates herself

[Nickname007]

My daughter is a typical 6 yr old in that she has her moments where she needs to be corrected, but generally is a good child.  Personality wise, she is strong willed and not shy about getting what she wants, but she is very sensitive also.  On two separate occasions, when she is in an accident situation (most recently, she heard my wife slip on the stairs and fall- thank God not hurt), my daughter immediately wants to get involved.  In the process she begins to cry (normal response) and proceeds to say that she wishes it was her who hurt her knee (while hitting her knee with her hand) and saying that she is stupid and wants to die (very concerning to me).  She than says she wished she would fall and hit her head open so that she would die.  After we calmed her down, and tried to talk through the rational of her comments and feelings- she said she had no feelings and she does not feel anything.  From a parent and human perspective, you never want to hear someone say these things- especially your child!  My concern is that I don't think this is a normal response, but this is our only child so I am uncertain if this is normal.  Is she just trying to express her feelings and concerns for Mom slipping and does not know the right reaction to have, or is this something which needs to be addressed with Dr.?

[elainederm]

my daughter voiced to me , mom   i want to hurt myself..I said why, she said they do it on TV she is only 6yrs old. should I be concerned?

[gitsum]

sounds like melancholia, bipolar, or a personality disorder. send her to a doctor who specializes in diagnosis of young children. in addition to asking a trusted medical professional, Google is also a good source for finding somebody local and finding reviews on the doctor.

it needs to be looked into and monitored before it becomes worse.

[4slenderthread]

Hello there -
I am sorry that you are having to be so concerned about your daughter's behavior - but it's wise that you are! I have three daughter's and I can personally say that none of them ever voiced such feelings. I believe your daughter's comments are a bit far from what is ordinary for one so young. Her reaction to her mothers fall is excessive. Having a child her age express a desire to be hurt (let only die) is a red flag that something, somewhere is wrong. I suggest that you take it seriously and watch/listen to her carefully. I would consider finding her a pediatric counselor/pyschologist,etc. There is no way of knowing if she would express her previous comments to a stranger, but it is worth a try. That's why finding someone that specializes in pediatric counseling would be crucial. I certainly wish you and your family the very best! Take care.