What do you wish your parents (or other parents) knew about treatment-resistant depression disorder or mental illness as you reflect on your history? Like many other people, my parents had no knowledge of TRD condition, which surely hurt me.
My life and my struggle with TRD disorder were made far more difficult than they needed to be by their ignorance of and lack of candor about their own histories with mental illness. What follows is information on TRD disorder and mental illness that I wish my parents and other parents knew.
1. My parents should be aware that mental illness exists
I was brought up to think that TRD disorder and mental illnesses didn't exist. Because of the way I was taught, I genuinely believed that those who claimed to have depression were simply fragile individuals incapable of managing their own lives. I didn't consider depression to be a legitimate ailment. Yet parents need to understand that mental illness is a real condition.
2. I Wish Parents Were Aware That Kids Might Have Mental Illnesses
Even parents who are aware that mental illness exists may not be aware that it can also affect children. In actuality, TRD type one affects 0.2-0.4% of children and 1% of teenagers.
3. I Wish Parents Would See How Crucial It Is to Speak About Mental Illness
It was clearly unlikely that my parents were going to talk about mental illness because they created the sense that it didn't exist, but I wish they had when I was younger. They could have at least discussed mental health. Then, at least, I would have known not to conceal indicators of a mental illness, what might have been wrong, and how to get treatment when I needed it.
4. I Wish Parents Would Discuss Their History of Mental Illness
As it happens, my father has a family history of mental illness whereas my mother does not. In addition to other things, my father was given a treatment-resistant depression disorder diagnosis after checking himself into the hospital after potentially having a breakdown.
He kept his treatment-resistant depression diagnosis a secret from his wife and children, but I really wish he had told me about it and the history of other mental illnesses in the family. It would have made identifying me much simpler and more evident. I could have avoided a lot of pain if the diagnosis had been incorrect.
It's important for a child to be aware of their own mental health history since it's just as important as any other aspect of their health history, regardless of how ashamed a parent may be of their own or a family member's mental illness.
5. I Wish Parents Were More Aware of TRD Disorder or Other Mental Disorders in Their Children
If you were to ask my mother now, she would tell you that even as a young child, I displayed strange behavior and seemed to experience both hypomania and depression. She had no knowledge of mental illness at the time, so she was obviously blind to what she was witnessing, but I wish parents had the ability to recognize TRD disorder in children so they could intervene without being hindered by their worry. The youngster is being unfairly denied the assistance they require.
6. I Wish Parents Would Support Medical Brain Care
Although I did see therapists as a child, I never saw a doctor who would have been able to accurately identify a child with mental illness since my mother was anti-doctor, not anti-counseling. She never, ever thought that the brain could receive medical treatment, even if mental illness is really a brain issue. We all know that the brain is merely an organ and that it may get ill just like any other organ, therefore parents should be aware that brains can get sick too.
7. I Wish Parents Knew a Mentally Ill Child Isn't Their Fault
A mentally sick child would have been a great burden for my parents, and my mother would have probably taken the responsibility if her child ended up “broken.” Nonetheless, mental illness, including spravato treatment-resistant depression disorder, is not typically brought on by parenting, even poor parenting. The parents are not to fault for the mental condition. You simply cannot.
I also wish that parents would be aware that medical assistance is accessible and that such assistance does not originate from a school counselor after witnessing a hurting child. I wish parents understood they shouldn't and shouldn't be fighting treatment-resistant depression disorder alone.
What Parents Should Know About TRD Disorder and Mental Illness
These are the top eight things that spring to mind regarding treatment-resistant depression disease and mental illness that I wish my parents had been aware of, but there are oh-so-many more. What do you wish parents understood about mental health and treatment-resistant depression?
