You are NOT alone

It always amazes me how many parents of children who have anxiety are walking around, thinking they are alone and have no one to talk to about all that is happening with their child.

Our daughters are there for each other when needed.

Well, parents

“You are NOT alone,”

and you will realize this over time.

When you are first hit with your child’s mental illness, you are being strong and caring it’s exhausting; you feel powerless and completely overwhelmed. You do not necessarily know how to help or where to turn to for that help…and yes I’m talking from experience, it’s horrid.

If you have ever flown you will have heard and watched the safety video saying that you have to take care of yourself FIRST before you help someone else with the oxygen masks……well this is so true when dealing with a child with a mental illness because you are absolutely NO USE to anyone if you too are exhausted and overwhelmed. It's ok to step away and seek help; you also need to talk to someone who understands because they possibly are going through a similar experience or are just that great friend that is always there for you. The problem is finding that someone who really understands is challenging. So many people deal with having a child with a Mental Illness silently and think that it’s NOT something to share. For some, it’s the sigma, of those words and that your child has something wrong with them Mentally (which I think has become less over the years.) Those words sound so awful to people and make them think differently towards your child and you as if it’s an incurable disease, and they will catch it if they come close.

Be vocal about it because this is part of the issue, so many people are suffering in silence because they are ashamed and embarrassed…..but WHY….if more people would talk about it don’t you think this will help in the big picture? Everyone is an individual, and everyone's anxiety/Mental Illness will be slightly different, but to actually talk to someone going through the same issues will help……I PROMISE.

Your family Doctor is an excellent resource and should be able to guide you in the direction of help and advice. However for us, it wasn’t until we took our daughter to BC Children’s Emergency department did a lot of doors open up in the form of real useful help, for her and US. It was the best step we could have taken, as they were able to give us medical advice and put us in touch with lots of recourses out there. This is not necessarily a place you will have taken your child to so by visiting your local Child and Youth Mental Health Clinic they should be able to recommend the same kind of places and support groups. These groups will have a facilitator that will help connect you with other parents and resources in your area.

~These resources and support groups are usually offered at no charge.

Other ways to look after yourself are, of course, yoga, walking, swimming basically any form of exercise So how does exercise help with Anxiety or just going out shopping or meeting friends for coffee. It doesn’t matter what it is. It’s just important that you look after yourself and get some time away to breathe. If you fall apart you are absolutely no good to anyone so do not feel guilty about doing something for YOU xxx.

MENTAL HEALTH