Parenting for the 2nd Decade: Mental Health Struggles Aren't Just "Other People's Problems"

Why do we believe mental health challenges happen to other people, but have difficulty seeing when we ourselves are having challenges? It's the way we seek to feel safe in the face of difficulties. What most folks don't know is that 1/2 of all Americans face a mental health challenge at some point in their lives. It's normal and common to experience challenges periodically.

A few months ago I gave a talk at the California PTA Conference. I asked the large audience of PTA officers from around the state, all caring and hard-working moms, to respond to a series of questions I posed: "Raise your hand if you've felt sad for a couple of weeks in a row and had a hard time leaving the bed or couch." "Raise your hand if you've had a hard time stopping worrying thoughts about your child." "Raise your hand if you ever count things, clean things, or bathe more than once a day in order to feel a bit more in control of life."

Mental health is a range of experiences. The more we recognize the continuum of experiences--from well to distressed to ill--the easier it is to recognize when to act and how to get support when needed.

Every single mom in the room raised their hands. Some kept their hands up the entire time. Knowing you're not alone is the first step in caring for yourself or a loved one during a time of need. Give us a call if you need help.