Being a parent can be hard and it can be even harder if you are experiencing difficulty with your emotional health.
Parents can often worry that if they talk about their mental health problems that others will think they are a bad parent or even worse that they might have their children taken away from them. However, most parents with mental health problems are great parents.
Your parenting style can have an effect on your children. Research shows that the most effective parents are those who are loving and affectionate but also set rules and challenge bad behaviour. This creates a positive relationship and the children tend to be happy and confident.
Emotional distress or mental health problems can impact on parenting including:
• Day to day function– you may find it difficult to do tasks around the house and keep the children’s rules and routines going.
• Risk of social isolation– when people are feeling emotionally distressed they often cut themselves off from friends, family and the wider community.
• Guilt– guilt is common and parents often feel guilty about not being a good enough parent or about taking time for themselves.
• Anger– anger is a natural feeling that affects everyone. However, for some people, anger can get out of control and cause problems with the family. For others it can cause them to bottle up emotions and become withdrawn. Anger can cloud you thinking and lead you to doing or saying.
