What To Do About Children Of Parents With Mental Illness Disorders

By Rebecca Kelly


Children need to feel as if they are loved and cared for. Most parents make sure that they are in the most suitable environment where they can have a healthy childhood. However, children of parents with mental illness really struggle in a number of different areas, and need to reach out to someone for support.

They have to become more responsible because much of the time they are looking after parents who are suffering with things like depression and bipolar disorder. They may feel as if they are rejected. It can be difficult for deal with these emotions later on in life as an adult.

Kids, who have to deal with this, will also find that they become depressed and anxious themselves. A lot of children don't know what to do and are fearful that they are going to be separated from their parents. Fear creeps in when parents become angry due to a disorder like this. They may often lose their temper and become withdrawn.

Life at home is always very stressful and it can create a lot of friction. The parent is unable to take care of the child. They won't be able to pick them up at school or attend school functions. The child may even have to cook the meals. In most cases, a child is too afraid to confide in another adult, such as a teacher.

The spouse may send the children to another relative or a grandparent when the situation becomes worse. This is not always the best thing because children are aware of what is going on. Parents try and hide this, and children will then have issues with trust, especially with authority figures which can play a part in their adult lives.

Sometimes the illness will be less of a strain where it will play a part in the home from time to time. The spouse will try and hide this from the the child in order to protect them. In some cases, they will send them to a relative. However, children are quick to pick up on something and will realize that there is a problem.

On top of this, children may be faced with a lot of other issues in their life. Parents who have certain mental illnesses can become aggressive and abusive. They will let this out on their kids. Young ones will live in fear. Parents can be loving the one minute and the next minute they will become enraged. This develops an ambivalence in the relationship.

Psychotherapy will be helpful at this stage of a child's life. It means that they don't have to battle later on in life when they are married and have children of their own. During this time, a therapist will be able to listen to child as they express themselves. This can be so helpful, especially since most kids feel that nobody is able to listen to them. A therapist can also refer a child to a play therapist who can work with them in a more creative fashion. Sometimes they need to express themselves in this way in order to let out all of the emotions.




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