8 year old son....

[devineros]

My son just turned 8 years old.   He is smart, articulate, and has a good sense of humor.   He does well in school, and his teacher says he is "normal" with his social interactions

I am considering taking him to a therapist, based on the following OCCASIONAL observations:

1)    He slaps himself in the face
2)    He has said on several occasions that he wants to kill himself
3)    He bites on his shirt, backpack, desk, etc
4)    He gets very frustrated easily.

I believe that he is a "sensitive" soul.   His father is also a pessimist, so I am not sure if this is what is causing this behavior - or whether its more serious.

I welcome you responses.   Thank you!

[jdtm]

All of this can be "anxious' behaviour - as can being "sensitive" and "pessimistic". The "wanting to kill himself" is common to anxiety - co-moribidy with depression (as is perfectionism).  IIs there any history in his family of anxiety disorders?  Just wondering ...

[Sandman2]

   A lot of this can be 'learned" behavior.  He has seen other people do it.  Or he has done it and has found out that it gets him what he wants.  The frustration typically comes by not getting what you want, and not having another way to express that emotion.
  However, I would continue to monitor his progress at school.  If his grades start slipping or his teacher starts noticing him being frustrated in the class room - then, I do think you have cause for concern.   So essentially, its important to keep good lines of communication open with the teacher.  The things you mentioned would be cause for concern (in my opinion) if they also were happening at school.  Hope this helps.