How To Deal With Children Of Parents With Mental Illness Disorders

By Rebecca Kelly


When a person has a mental illness, such as bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder, it is sometimes difficult for them to cope with the situation. However, children who are exposed to this will also have a tough time growing up in the home. Children of parents with mental illnesses need to deal with certain issues that are bothering them.

These kids often don't grow up living as a normal child. They may act as the parent, cooking the meals and attending to younger siblings. It can cause chaos and friction within the home. Very often, the spouse of the parent dealing with the disorder does not act in a responsible manner. They have a lot on their plate and turn to drugs and drinking as well.

The spouse of the person with this sort of illness may be at work or have a lifestyle which has become stressful. They often don't know how to cope in a situation like this. They are not responsible themselves and will simply head off to the pub with a couple of friends in order to get away from it all.

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.

Family therapy is a good option because everyone will be able to find out more about the mental illness and how they can deal with it. The other parent should learn to spend more time with the child. One should also be able to find someone to help take care of the parent who is suffering from the mental disorder so that the child is not struggling as much.

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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