We talk about stigma for folks dealing with mental illness, but probably no one get stigmatized more than children with mental illnesses. This a great story about how bad it can be for those kids, but also how, with the correct, treatment, these same kids can go on and lead great lives.
5 Things I Wish You Knew About My Child Who Has Mental Illness
In a bit of a followup to my own post earlier this week, I found this comment of James’s from the article below interesting, and insightful: “So when we look at the news and social media or listen to our conversations, we need to observe carefully, not just the content we are taking in, but…
This quote is, frankly, just so freaking much.
“Personal boundaries are important for establishing a sense of self-worth and a sense of self-love. Those who grew up unable to establish their own personal space or to have a sense of control over their own life may have learned to seek approval or validation from others instead of trusting themselves and building a solid sense of self-identity.”
“WASHINGTON — Suicide in the United States has surged to the highest levels in nearly 30 years, a federal data analysis has found, with increases in every age group except older adults. The rise was particularly steep for women. It was also substantial among middle-aged Americans, sending a signal of deep anguish from a group…
This, we know. Many survivors have experienced it first-hand. “Believing that the world is ultimately a fair and just place can result in individual and social complacency due to the idea that justice happens on its own, fueled by an actively engaged, ‘fair’ universal force. The belief in a just world can also result in…
Woman/Boy Relationships in Pop Culture: No Big Deal – Jordan Larson – The Atlantic tags: CA Taking the Time: Healing Happens at a Trot, Not a Gallop tags: CA Petra’s Birthday Wish for Male Abuse Awareness Week 2013 tags: CA The Reality of Depression : It Exists : Caregivers, Family tags: CA Chilling experiment shows…
This is also a really important way to look at healing from abuse. Baby steps. For all the same reasons given in the quote, and the article below, we need those constant reminders that we are moving forward. “This is when we can turn to baby-steps to build self-esteem. When we measure our progress in…
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RT @SurvivorNetwork: Reading – 5 Things I Wish You Knew About My Child Who Has Mental Illness: We talk about stigma for folks dealing… ht…
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RT @SurvivorNetwork: Reading – 5 Things I Wish You Knew About My Child Who Has Mental Illness http://t.co/P1XeJWPK7V
I know you mean well, and refering to mental health conditions as mental illness is stigmatizing, in general, especially for trauma survivors. We are not mentally ‘ill’. This is an old paradigm of understanding the experience of those whose childhood was marked by attachment trauma. One of the greatest gifts you can offer fellow survivors is a new understanding of what it means to experience pain, what it means to feel supported and what it means to heal. This often requires stepping outside the definition that is offered to us by mental health professionals. I am thinking of psychiatrists most specifically. “Mental illness”, “mental disorders”, and the idea that the source of our pain and suffering is the result of a genetic brain disorder was created by psychiatry to provide scientific legitimacy to their profession. (See: Mad in America, Thomas Szasz, Peter Breggin for more). Also to make sure that they are taken serious as medical authorities – as doctors. But it’s time for trauma survivors, including you to take back your power on behalf of yourself and children misdiagnosed as having ADHD which is also often connected to emotional regulation issues and attunement. (See Mad in America, Bruce Perry, Bessel van der Kolk). Misdiagnosis by psychiatrists is often a common experience among the trauma survivor population (bipolar, genetic depression, ADHD, borderline) (Pete Walker) . These are considered brain disorders, but a person with a trauma history is not brain disordered or mentally ill. Instead they are experiencing the effects of a childhood experience of neglect, abuse, trauma and lack of the support of their primary caregivers. Consider that next time you use the term “mentally ill” and think about the message you are sending to others, including yourself, fellow survivors and mental health professionals. The truth is you do not need to accept the authority’s definition of you. And obviously you do not need to accept my words or perspective either. That is what empowerment means. It means creating your own definition and sense of identity that is informed based in your own experiences. That’s what is involved in healing from the effects of trauma, in my opinion. I wish you well on your journey.
In this case, since the author or the original article used that term, and it’s their child they were talking about, I chose to continue using the terms they used. Had that chosen a different term, I probably would have followed along with that as well. So, I understand what you are saying, but in this case, I am but the messenger in a sense, of someone else’s story.