Whatever it is that leads you here, is probably one of the most
painful situations you will ever endure.
If you suspect your child may be suffering mental illness, you're
in a safe place here. This is no time to judge or feel judged. If your child is acting out in some way or another,
your child may need help in some way or another.
If your child is using drugs, he/she could be "self medicating,"
because they are suffering depression for one of a million reasons. Whatever the case, if your child doesn't get help,
they AND you are on a path for disaster.
Whatever symptoms your child is displaying, first and foremost
you need to understand that your child, more than most likely going to need intervention and help not only with a professional
but YOU will be the biggest part of their therapy.
You can choose to hope they "grow out of it," or you can begin
the process.
You need to understand that whatever the process is, you will
need to get it started as soon as you can. No matter what, the process will be a long one.
There are so many things to understand. One of the most
important things is, the first Psychiatrist or psychologist may not be the best one. You may have to change a few times.
If you get a good one the first time and it does happen, then God bless you, but if not, you have to keep going until you
do!
You will learn many things along the way. You will learn to be realistic,
you will learn to trust your intuition.
