Does Your Child Suffer from a Mental Illness?

Now a days there seems to be a cesspool of psychiatrists specializing in ADD, OCD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, learning disorders, you name it there is probably a disorder attached to it; or will be coming to a doctors office near you. Say, 30 or 40 years ago kids got along just fine without being shuttled off to this therapist or given that medication for his/her behavior problems. The parents just dealt with it and all was fine in the world. Or so they thought.

Today, an estimated *5 million young people suffer from some type of mental illness. Odds are that you could very well be a grandparent, or know a family, who will have to deal with this statistic first hand. It can be such a heartbreaking journey to a parent and can leave them feeling utterly alone. Often times they think they're the only parents in the world that have been thrown in to this new and unfamiliar world.

It may seem silly to you to learn that Little Johnny gets so anxious over stepping on a crack in the sidewalk that he breaks out in hives and can't breathe. You might think that he's being a tad dramatic and that your son/daughter needs to be a bit more strict. Most of the time, as grandparents, you're not around to witness such 'episodes' that can frighten even the most stoic parent into a shear panic.

When your adult child tells you that one of your grandchildren is suffering from a mental illness or disorder of some kind, the first thing that you should say or do, without a doubt, is tell them you love them as you give them a huge hug. That simple gesture will mean the world to them while they're in such a confusing and scary time in their life.

Please don't ever blame the parent - there is absolutely nothing they could've done to prevent any mental illness. Even if you have no idea what your grandchild is dealing with, always try to do some research on your own. This will show that you're attempting to understand and learn about what your grandchild is really experiencing. Better yet, offer to attend a therapy session if appropriate. One-on-one experience with that sort of thing can open up a world of invaluable knowledge and communication.

My son was diagnosed with OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, when he was in 2^nd grade. OCD is an anxiety disorder that can involve unwanted thoughts (such as my mother will be killed if I don't touch the wall with my left hand) and repetitive behaviors such as hand washing, counting, checking, or cleaning. The person performs these 'rituals' in the belief that the unwanted thought will go away and the bad things won't happen. Unfortunately, the relief is only temporary. My son also suffered from severe depression, that resulted in thoughts of suicide, and a short time with terrible anxiety attacks that brought us into the emergency room at all hours of the night. We even went through a period of time when his doctors felt he had schizophrenia. Talk about a terrifying ordeal to go through. You really need all of the support you can get and the closer it comes from home the more comforting it feels.

A lot of us can relate to the feeling of despair and helplessness as a parent by not having a clue on how to fix what's wrong with your child. When all else fails, tell your children and your grandchildren that you love them no matter what. A lot of times you may think we're all grown up and can handle it all ourselves. While there is truth to that, it can never hurt to tell us how much you love us and that we have your support.

Today my son is 14 and still battles with the OCD, sometimes on a daily basis. We have some really great days and others, not so much. My son and I have been through a lot with this illness and we both understand that there is no magic cure. I can't help but wonder how different the last 10 years would have been if we had the support from our family.

Hopefully, your grandkids won't have to.

* www.medicinenet.com/mental_illness_in_children/article.htm