For Parents of Young Adults With Mental Illness
The family of a young adult with mental illness faces special challenges. Coping can be especially difficult when there are younger children living in the household. Younger children may feel neglected or resentful because of an older sibling with a mental illness, or they may feel somehow responsible for the person's illness and the stresses it causes in the home.
People with bipolar disorder often have their first symptoms during adolescence or young adulthood, and thus are likely to be living with their parents. When parents learn their son or daughter has a mental illness, they usually experience a range of strong emotions — shock, confusion, dismay, sadness, and even anger. Parents often search frantically for answers that may not be there. They may even be in denial about their loved one's illness, or seek to blame themselves or various circumstances for the cause of the illness.
The need for belonging and peer acceptance is a major issue during young adulthood. Young adults with mental illnesses have the same needs, but finding group acceptance and fitting in may be especially hard for them. This can lead to social withdrawal and isolation, which are also symptoms of the illness itself.
By making use of a number of available services and organizations, you can help your son or daughter find a peer group where he or she feels safe and accepted. Your loved one's case manager, doctor, or rehabilitation counselor can offer assessment and input regarding the type of group that may be appropriate. The healthcare professional can also help gauge your son or daughter's readiness to participate in a group.
Suggestions for group involvement include:
- Joining an organization, such as a local sports team, social club, temple, or church-affiliated youth group
- Group therapy, which can be arranged through your loved one's therapist, doctor, or case manager
- Support groups for people with mental illness, such as clubhouses and local support groups
Books That Can Help
Here are some books that are recommended by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). They may help you deal with issues facing the sibling(s) of a person with mental illness:
How to Cope With Mental Illness in Your Family: A Self-Care Guide for Siblings, Offspring, and Parents
By Diane T. Marsh, Rex M. Dickens, E. Fuller
Torrey Paperback — 206 pages (May 1998)
Imagining Robert: My Brother, Madness and Survival: A Memoir
By Jay Neugeboren
Paperback — 304 pages,
(reprint edition, April 1998)
Help Me, I'm Sad
By David G. Fassler, MD, and Lynne S. Dumas.
Paperback — 210 pages (1997)
The Storm in my Brain: Kids and Mood Disorders
DBSA with the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation,
Booklet — 18 pages (2003)
