As surprising as it may be, more than 15 percent of parents or guardians suffer from one or more mental health illnesses. Some common illnesses that these parents experience include bipolar and anxiety disorders. Because psychiatric disorders have a profound influence on the way a person thinks or behaves, it can sometimes be difficult to raise a child.
Here’s a closer look at how psychiatric illnesses can affect supporting a family.
Difficulty finding work
The most important part of being a parent entails providing shelter and food for your family. With a psychiatric disorder, it can be arduous to maintain employment; however, this doesn’t apply to most parents who have a mental health illness. In fact, research shows that 72 percent of businesses that employ a person with a psychiatric illness report the worker’s job performance is not influenced by the disorder. Still though, the stigma connected with mental health illnesses results in hindered job prospects. So, while it may not be difficult to perform well at a job, securing one is what seems to present the major problem for parents with a mental disorder.
Hindrance in providing a stable home environment
Many psychiatric disorders present symptoms related to extreme highs and/or excessive depression. Suffering from these symptoms makes it hard to provide a stable home environment. Family members may often find themselves with someone who sleeps for several days at a time, making it difficult for the entire family to be together and enjoy life’s journey together.
Setting rules and boundaries becomes confusing
As parents with mental illnesses endure their symptoms, they tend to find that setting boundaries becomes an oppressive task. As a parent’s mood changes, so will the rules and boundaries that the parent has outlined to follow. This can be exceedingly frustrating for family members because they never know what is, and is not, okay to do. For example, one day it may be okay to eat dinner in the living room, while the next day the parent may become upset if everyone doesn’t eat at the kitchen table.
Help is available
Fortunately, help for parents anguished with psychiatric disorders is obtainable. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 90 percent of people with a mental health disorder who obtain professional help are able to experience a reduction in their symptoms, thus assisting them to achieve a better quality of life compared to people who don’t receive help.
Pasadena Villa programs set out to create a comforting and therapeutic environment for those with psychiatric disorder’s like Schizophrenia and Bipolar with Psychosis. We do everyday things a normal family would do. Our staff and residents learn and model appropriate social and communication skills, from daily mealtimes, to many fun and relaxing activities.
Our mental health professionals work directly with residents. They observe them in actual social situations and incorporate these observations directly into the resident’s ongoing treatment plan. This individual real life personalized attention makes the Pasadena Villa treatment experience more appropriate, relevant and beneficial for each person, especially when compared to any other available adult residential treatment mental health services.
As one of the very first programs in the country to base its treatment upon Social Integration, our mental health facilities offer help through a unique mix of individualized therapy and group residential programs with a clear focus towards achieving a more independent living. Many parents go from being hesitant and scared to live life, to being excited and ready for a promising new future for their family to begin.
The Villa Orlando and Pasadena Villa’s Smoky Mountain Lodge are adult intensive psychiatric residential treatment centers for clients with serious mental illnesses. We also provide other individualized therapy programs, step-down residential programs, and less intensive mental health services, such as Community Residential Homes, Supportive Housing, Day Treatment Programs and Life Skills training. Pasadena Villa’s Outpatient Center in Raleigh, North Carolina offers partial hospitalization (PHP) and an intensive outpatient program (PHP). If you or someone you know may need mental health services, please complete our contact form or call us at 407-574-5190 for more information.
Sources:
- CarolinasHealthcare.org
- RaisingChildren.Net.au
