
Not only adults, but children also suffer from mental illness. It can happen at any age. As a parent/guardian it’s your responsibility to talk to your child. Even if you don’t think your child has any type of illness, you might be wrong. Some illnesses are very easy to hide and aren’t noticed by close family or friends. Your child might be scared, depressed, confused, and might feel all alone.
When I was growing up, mental health issues weren’t openly talked about like it is now. As many of you know, I was very young when I developed OCD. Nobody knew about it. Not one single person. I hid it very well. Even though I was very close to my mom, I didn’t tell her. At that time OCD wasn’t talked about. I had never heard of it. I had no idea what was going on with me. I was young, scared, and I chose to go through it alone.
Don’t let that be your child. Talk to them. If your not sure how to bring up the subject, there are lots of articles and videos on YouTube that can give you an idea.
Keep in mind that sometimes your child may not feel comfortable talking to you about it. Don’t take it personally. Offer them the choice to talk to someone else. Let them know there are counseling services. Let them know there are lots of people that can help. Let them tell you who they are comfortable talking to.
Sometimes they get worried or scared because they don’t know what will happen if they open up. I know for me, when I was little, I was terrified if I told a doctor what was going on with me that he would lock me up in a mental ward. I was seriously so scared of this so I never said a thing about it.
Here are a few things I find very important when talking to your child about mental illness.
LET YOUR CHILD KNOW THEY ARE LOVED.
Your probably thinking, “my child already knows that they are loved”. I’m sure you are right but they might feel that once you know about the issues they are having, you might not love them anymore. Of course we will love our children no matter what, we know that, but they may not. Let your child know they are loved no matter what.
Let your child know that they can trust you.
This is very very important. A child needs to know they have your trust. They might not want you telling other family members or friends what they are going through. Remember they might be embarrassed.
LET YOUR CHILD KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE.
Let them know that there are other kids going through the same thing. Let them know they are not the only child to have a mental illness. Let your child know they are not alone.
Even if there are no signs of a mental illness, and even if there are no family history of mental illness, please talk to your child. Be the parent they may need right now. Be there.
Hope this post can help someone who needs it.
If your struggling, Reach Out, Speak Up, And Ask For Help.
#mentalhealthmatters
Nobody should go through it alone.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you for sharing this, I have two boys, they are 3 and 5 year old. Reading from your experience is really valuable. Wish you the best and keep going with your blog!
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Thank you so much 💖
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Thank you for spreading awareness that mental health is just not for adults. As a single mom of three boys I get it and wish I’d done more to normalize mental health for them.
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I can totally relate…..I also have 3 boys. We just have to hope and pray that we do the best we can. 😁
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Excellent post! I have a daughter that struggled with mental health starting around age 12. It is a difficult journey for parents and their children. Talking and finding the best care is so important. Our daughter is now an adult but she has thanked us many times for being the stability that she needed to lean on. Best Wishes! Leigh
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Awesome! I love that you were able to openly talk to your daughter about it. Thank you for commenting 😁😁
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Although I don’t have children this really validated my experience as a child, like you I had OCD not that I knew the name at the time, and like you I was very close to my mum, but never told her, for similar reasons, it’s amazing how we could do this as children but sad too x
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Yes you are so right. Thank you for commenting 😁
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You’re welcome x
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I love this post so much. Thank you for your wisdom, your heart and for sharing your journey with us. I needed this. You don’t know how much. 💖
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Oh my goodness your comment warmed my heart ❤. Thank you so much 💖.
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This is a much needed post. I think we tend to focus more on adults when it comes to mental health but like you said kids can suffer from mental health problems too. I think the most important thing is to make sure they know that they are loved and to get them the help they need 💖
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Yes definitely! Thank you Pooja for commenting 😁😁
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My pleasure!
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What a great post! Kids definitely deserve to have someone too listen too them and make them feel safe!
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Yes they sure do. 😁 Thank you for commenting 😊😊
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You’re welcome
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This is a very important post. While I don’t have kids who have mental illness, I was very worried my daughter would end up having my clinical depression because it runs in the family. Luckily she is the complete opposite as me in terms of being super bubbly, happy, positive. It’s amazing to watch because I can’t relate to that high level of happiness on a continuous basis, but she inspires me daily. ❤
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Awww thats wonderful. Getting inspired by our children is such an amazing feeling that always touches my heart. 💖
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