How Seattle parents cope with mental health struggles

Across the country, there are clear signs that more parents are struggling with their mental health in recent years. 70% of all caregivers reported mental health symptoms such as anxiety or depression Findings from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention In June 2021, the agency made a strong report The relationship between parents and their children’s mental health When parents experience mental health symptoms such as depression or anxiety, it can be more difficult to care for their children, the agency reported.

In Washington, 2021 Healthy Youth Survey 20% of 10th and 12th graders reported suicidal thoughts in the past year, while 69% of 10th graders and 74% of 12th graders reported feeling anxious or depressed in the past two weeks.

If you or someone you know is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts, help is available. Call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). in addition, Crisis communications King County’s confidential, toll-free, 24-hour crisis line operates at 1-866-4-CRISIS (1-866-427-4747).

Dr. Michelle Bedard-Gilligan, a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Washington, D.C., recently noticed a theme among her patients who were parents who felt strongly that the world was less safe. They seem to feel more anxious and fearful about things like their children going to school or even running errands, especially in public places like grocery stores following school shootings and hate crimes and the local media’s focus on crime in Seattle. One of her patients recently decided to homeschool her children because she no longer believes the school system can protect them from gun violence and Covid.

Bedard-Gilligan advises parents who struggle with safety fears to take time to reflect on how much of their anxiety is based on reality rather than emotion. She suggests that parents think about how much of their fear is based on real experience and that what they fear might actually happen.

Natalie Ceriani remembers having to take one of her children to school the day after the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas in May, when her two children were in first and fourth grade.

“I’m pissed inside and I have to go to work now,” she said. There is not much space or time to do some things.

Seriani says it’s helpful to write about these kinds of situations, take breaks when you need them, and simply be more honest with friends and family about what you’ve been through, especially when you’re struggling.

At Sound, which has more than a dozen facilities throughout Western Washington, they reported seeing a 25% increase in parents and caregivers since the outbreak hit the state.

Sound therapist West explains that she and her parent clients discuss parenting skills, job loss, struggles with child care, feelings of loneliness, and difficulty processing grief and loss.

Finding a therapist in Washington can be challenging. As a 2018 Washington State Health Assessment ReportAt its most recent, there was one provider for every 360 people in the state.

“We used to be a very stretched system to the limit. [the pandemic]And then we got so overwhelmed that it became overwhelming,” Bedard-Gilligan said. “I’ll be the first to admit that it’s incredibly difficult to get mental health services these days.”

Alice Nicholls, board president of the Mental Health Foundation, says that often the biggest obstacle for parents is in their own head. NAMI Washington.

“I think it’s because parents are worried about being judged,” she said. “And there’s a lot of mother-blaming and parent-blaming in our culture, so often parents are afraid to share what’s really going on.”