Coping with your child’s mental health issues
Being the parent of a child suffering with mental health issues is an extremely challenging situation to have to deal with, so it is vitally important to reach out for help.
Remaining strong for your child and potentially their siblings also, is a huge weight to carry, so caring for yourself is vitally important.
You should not feel alone though as, right now, according to a CDC report, millions of children in American are living with mental health issues.
The most important thing you can do in this situation is to seek the right support to help you to cope better, from suspecting your child may be suffering with their mental health, right through to supporting yourself and other family members too.
Recognizing mental health issues
Symptoms of mental health issues in children can vary wildly and because children are often prone to outbursts, mood swings and loss of temper, it can be difficult to spot the signs that your child is struggling with a recognized mental health issue.
Indicators can range from extreme sadness to changes in eating habits, stomach problems and headaches, to trouble sleeping.
Talk to your child to see if there are any obvious reasons why these emotional or behavioral changes could be happening, but if you are in any doubt seek medical advice. Professionals will be able to determine whether the behavior is simply that of a typical child or if there may be underlying issues which need looking into.
Due to the stigma attached to mental health, it can be difficult to make this first step but it is important to seek help if it is necessary.
Getting help
The treatments available will differ depending on the exact problems the child is experiencing but they can range from talking therapies, family counseling sessions and medications.
Your child’s pediatrician will be able to recommend which treatments would work best for your child.
Support for the family
The difficult behaviors which can come from a child suffering with mental health problems will likely affect the entire family.
Parents will experience a whole range of emotions from guilt to sadness, anger to hopelessness.
Brothers and sisters may feel sad, wishing they could help, perhaps even left out or unloved as so much attention goes into the wellbeing of their sibling.
This is why support and treatments often involve the whole family. When you find out the exact mental health issues involved, you can seek tailored help for you and your family, such as psychiatric rehabilitation specialists LAT Services who provide specific services such as schizophrenia family support.
Self-care
As a parent it is crucial to give yourself time and space to come to terms with what is happening and take a break when necessary too.
Seek support from friends and family so that you can get time away for some self-care, whether that is just peaceful time curled up with a book, a meal out in adult company or another way you can relax and wind-down.
It is important to remember this is an extremely challenging situation to have to deal with for the whole family. As a parent all you can do is find the appropriate support to match your child’s needs while remembering to take care of yourself.
