For numerous years, your parents played the guiding role, offering support and care whenever needed. However, you’ve started noticing signs that they now require assistance. In today’s post, we delve into methods to assist parents grappling with mental health issues.
If your parent is facing mental health challenges, do not hesitate to reach out to Iris Wellness Group today at 423-919-9549. Our dedicated admissions team is here to help you or your parent take the first step towards wellness.
Signs Your Parent May Have a Mental Illness
The initial step in aiding parents with mental health issues is acknowledging their struggle.
It’s a vast domain when it comes to mental health concerns affecting older adults, making it impossible to outline every potential symptom in a single post. However, if you worry about your parent’s psychological well-being, here are some signs to watch out for:
- Significant fluctuations in their mood, attitude, and energy level.
- Unusual expressions of anger, aggressiveness, or irritability.
- Alterations in their eating habits, leading to weight gain or loss.
- Difficulties in focusing, concentrating, or following conversations.
- Loss of interest in hobbies, topics, or pursuits they once cherished.
- Abrupt changes in relationships with family and friends.
- Frequently mentioning death and dying.
- Neglecting personal appearance, grooming, and hygiene.
- Altered behaviors like sudden spending sprees or reckless actions.
- Displaying higher or lower self-esteem and confidence than usual.
Any noticeable alterations in appearance, behavior, or self-expression could be indicators of a mental illness developing in your parent.
How to Help Parents With Mental Illness
Facing the reality of parents with mental health issues is daunting, determining how to assist them is equally challenging. Mental health concerns are serious conditions often requiring comprehensive professional intervention. While you cannot solve the issue single-handedly, you play a crucial role in linking your parent to the requisite care.
Educate Yourself
If you’re aware of the type of mental illness your parent is battling, invest time in understanding its causes, symptoms, and impacts. Should a diagnosis be pending, research the symptoms they’ve been showing. Gaining insights into their ordeal prepares you better in providing valuable, actionable support.
Explore Treatment Options
As you familiarize yourself with your parent’s mental illness, also delve into treatment information. Discover the types of services benefiting others with similar challenges, and pinpoint providers in Chattanooga, TN that furnish the care your parent requires.
Bear in mind, a “perfect” treatment program or a universally effective technique doesn’t exist. Aim at identifying resources aligning with your parent’s needs, and their strengths and preferences.
Talk to Your Parent
Engaging in this dialogue might be tough, yet it’s crucial. Share your concerns regarding the symptoms they’ve been showing. Emphasize your love and support, being open about treatment discussions. It’s rare for a single conversation to lead to your parent agreeing to seek treatment, hence view this talk as an initial dialogue in a series.
Depending on your parent’s mental illness nature, responses of denial, resistance, or anger might be encountered. Preparing for these responses in advance can deter the conversation from devolving into a confrontation.
Listen to Your Parent
Ensure the conversation about your parent’s mental illness remains a discussion, not a lecture or an ultimatum. Give your parent a chance to respond, even if the feedback isn’t as expected.
Apart from reputable websites and professional consultations about parents with mental illness, understanding their experiences through observation and active listening is vital. Their willingness or reluctance in discussing symptoms or acknowledging treatment information can guide your subsequent steps and mold future talks.
Get Help for Yourself
The ramifications of having a parent with mental illness stretch beyond the individual. It also affects you and possibly their partner, other children, close friends, or family members. Consider forming a small support group from these individuals to ensure your parent’s safety and coax them into seeking help.
If you haven’t consulted with a therapist or counselor, it’s advisable to schedule an appointment. Professional advice can safeguard your mental health as you endeavor to assist your parent with theirs. Remember, offering maximal support to someone else is unattainable if your own needs are unmet.
Find Mental Health Treatment in Chattanooga, TN
Iris Wellness Group provides a comprehensive range of personalized care for adults facing anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental ailments. Our treatment options in Chattanooga, Tennessee encompass outpatient treatment, partial hospitalization program, intensive outpatient programs and adolescent intensive outpatient programs. At every care level, your parent will obtain personalized services from a team of proficient and committed professionals.
Together, we can guide your parent towards improved health, enabling a more fulfilling quality of life. To discover more or to schedule a free assessment for your parent, visit our admissions page or contact us today.
