Question: I wanted to take my son to be evaluated. I think he has some serious anxiety. My husband has a thing about seeing a psychiatrist. Maybe that is because his whole family is nuts. He won’t let me take my son, and even if I go behind his back, no one will see me without my husband agreeing.

Anne Fenton, MD: Unfortunately, your husband is not alone in his desire to avoid the stigma of mental health issues and seeking treatment. I have seen problems go on untreated for years before people are finally compelled to seek help. Of course by then, the consequences of long term symptoms are far more serious than real or imagined consequences of the stigma. Before you and your husband fall into this sort of paralysis, while your son continues to suffer anxiety and its side effects, you may consider starting with a “neutral” sounding consultation with a pediatric neurologist or developmental specialist. Talk to your pediatrician. He or she can refer you to a specialist whose title may be less subject to stigma. If at some point your child is referred to a mental health professional, you and your husband will have heard the recommendation from more than one specialist and the language will be more familiar.