Mental Illness

If you or your child are currently in a crisis scenario, stop and call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—988.

Mental illness does not just impact one person, but impacts the whole family and community. Whether you, your child, or another loved one is suffering, know that you have a reason to hope. Mental illness can take a variety of forms (e.g., depression, anxiety, trauma, relationships issues, grief) and the resources listed below can hopefully be a starting point for you.

Anticipate

One indicator that can impact a person’s mental health is having strong social systems in place. Meeting regularly with those who are a positive influence (e.g., friends, family, role models) can lessen the severity of anxiety and depression when they occur. Healthy habits such as a well-balanced diet, exercise, and getting enough sleep can also serve as protective factors in maintaining the mental health of your family.

Open communication between parents and children may be difficult to foster but is key to getting a step ahead of mental illness. Encouraging communication when discussing topics that engage your child, even if they seem trivial or that may not interest you, will open the doors to later conversations on serious topics. Doing this will let your children know that they can come to you when they are struggling and feel heard, accepted, and loved.

Accompany

If you or someone you love is suffering from a mental illness the first step is to seek help from a trained professional. In many cases, each family member may need their own therapist in order to process and provide proper support; this is especially true for parents if their child is suffering from a mental illness. Check out the resources below or call a trusted priest to help find a potential mental health professional that can help.

Commonly, the instinct for someone suffering from a mental illness is to run away or retreat from everyday experiences, but having a social system to lean on and turn to is essential. Help your child know that you care about them and have other trusted adults and friends with whom your child can spend time. This is not meant to be a therapy session where they share everything they are struggling with; it is meant to be a time of shared experiences such as eating dinner together, watching a movie, playing a game, or just spending time together.

Mental Illness

If you or your child are currently in a crisis scenario, stop and call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—988.

Anticipate

Accompany

If you or your child are currently in a crisis scenario, stop and call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—988.

Answer