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Why do you think parents miss the warning signs of mental illness in their kids?

Poll - Total Votes: 15

Busy with their own problems

They hope their kid will just grow out of it

It's hard to tell

It's easy to miss

Everyone is on the spectrum of mental illness

Show Results

You can only vote on one answer.

Loss of interest in usual fun activities

Withdrawal from social or usual pleasurable activities

Difficulties with concentration
Running away from home or talking about running away from home

Talking about death or dying, giving away (or talking about giving away) favorite possessions, writing goodbye letters

Sleep increase (or decrease)

Appetite/weight changes (more likely an increase, in depressed teens)

Occasionally, new or recent onset agitation or aggression

Comments indicating hopelessness or low self-worth

Top | Newest First | Oldest First

Peaceful · F Best Comment

I think we have wounded parents raising wounded children for the most part. That coupled with both parents working, if there are two is strenuous. And often the child hides the signs sadly.

View 4 more replies »

Peaceful · F

@SW-User break the cycle. I know it's not easy, but you're worth it.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@SW-User History does not Have to repeat

SW-User

It does get stronger, and that bad history with my family stops with me, because if I ever raise one of my own history ain’t going to repeat. There will be nothing but unconditional love from there.@Lostpoet

DearAmbellina2113 · 41-45, F

I think it's a combo of not paying enough attention and not seeing how serious it is. They tend to dismiss their kid's problem as "not a big deal" or "it's just teenage hormones", instead of really tackling the issue.

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Lostpoet · M

@Phire1 They have one smart mom. 💛

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@Lostpoet However, some mental health matters can be genetic... along with the mix of environmental aspects.

If we're to teach potential parents about such then the human development classes, the psychology classes, the medical classes, etc., should start to become taught in elementary school... not once entering college (depending on one's career choice).

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@Lostpoet ❤️

AmbivalentFriability · 26-30

I don't think most parents are well-informed in mental illness in kids and teens.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@AmbivalentFriability I think you're right in that many parents are not informed about mental health matters. I also don't think it's possible to get every single potential and actual parent to become informed as much as I think they should. The info is out there, but getting it to every individual out there is quite a large task. Also, some folks do not even 'believe' in the "mental health" realm, per se.

Lostpoet · M

@AmbivalentFriability Shouldn't the teachers be trained at spoting it too though and it should then be brought to the parents attention.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

Kids communicate their struggles differently than adults do. For instance, if a child says, "my stomach hurts," it may mean they're having anxiety.

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Lostpoet · M

@Phire1 They are learning a lot about autism and hopefully they come up with a cure soon. I heard that they've discovered a connection between the microbes in our guts and autism.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@Lostpoet I would like to see credible peer-reviewed sources about that.

I don't there is a "cure."

Lostpoet · M

@Phire1 Yeah, it's all just googled stuff. But I mean, and I don't want to hit a nerve because I don't know your relationship with your son, but wouldn't it be nice if one day he'll be able to look you dead in the eyes and openly tell you how much he loves you and how much he knows you've done for him. And one day he might be able to have a relationship and a family of his own? I don't know how autism works, or the struggles your son has to go through on the daily, but the brain is just another organ, and I think they are finally starting to understand what can go wrong and how to fix it. By the way, I wish I could look my mom in the eyes and tell her that I love and how much I know she's had to put up with me.

TempuraShrimp · 26-30, M

They don't want to believe their child has a problem

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Lostpoet · M

@TempuraShrimp I'm glad he's smart enough to believe you and I hope things get better for you. Keep working towards something better so that you don't have to deal with those kinds of people.

TempuraShrimp · 26-30, M

@Lostpoet I want to go into body piercing. I'm trying to research and figure out how I can start out

Lostpoet · M

@TempuraShrimp You should take some art classes or practice art and maybe you can open up your own tattoo business.

SW-User

My mum caught me and stopped me from swallowing Caustic soda when I was 10 years old, she also found a barbed wired noose in my wardrobe when I was 14, I hid my depression back then and because of that my mum thought I was just “seeking attention” but I needed help let alone love that I was lacking from my parents, they didn’t even switch on that something was wrong when I took up heroin at 16, sold eccies at over age raves, getting into trouble by the cops all the time, then when she finally ransacked my room and found scrunched used sheets of foil (smoking heroin paraphinaelia) in my drawers, finding my knife collection, bullets. Her solution was to throw me out of home just two weeks after I turned 18.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@SW-User 😞

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@SW-User I wasn't even into all of that but, I was left alone at age 17. I am sorry to hear about everything you dealt with. Very hard!!!
Hugs to you!

Longpatrol · 31-35, M

Two loner teens have gone on a killing spree in canada, the father of one of them said his son had been withdrawn in the weeks leading up. Often for a parent, the question is when is my moody emotional kid behaving out of the norm?

Lostpoet · M

@Longpatrol I feel really bad for those parents I read the memoir about the mom from the Columbine shooting. She comes off as a really caring parent.

ItsGonnaBeOk · 26-30, M

they know something is wrong with their kid they see it and they ignore it cuz they think their kid is being just "a kid".

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