What Does the Mental Health Crisis Tell Me About Parenting? [Podcast Episode]

Today, we’ll be discussing a huge topic: how to raise our families in the midst of a mental health crisis. We’re going to tackle this big idea from a place of theory and bring it down to steps of actions that parents can take to promote mental health for the whole family. It’s not going to be easy but let’s dive in.

I recently realized that it’s exceptionally difficult to be emotionally healthy in America at this time. This makes decision-making, prioritizing, and deciding our values as a parent an incredibly difficult task. When we think about our values and prioritizing what’s important to us, it can feel like we’re choosing between our own mental health and that of our children, partners, and loved ones. So many of us are struggling with making decisions around how to spend our time or attention and it’s harder than it ever has been.

During the pandemic, I experienced a depression in which I felt like I was being pulled between taking care of myself and taking care of my family (financially, socially, etc.). I felt pulled between my mental health and theirs. The pandemic lifestyle is now more or less over but every member of our family is still recovering from that period and everyone needs some extra love and care. This is especially true for teenagers whose mental health took a well-documented dip during the pandemic and hasn’t rebounded. We’re truly in the midst of a mental health crisis for teens and really everyone. Now the question becomes: what do we do about it? What do we do now that we know there’s a mental health crisis and what does this mean for how we raise our families?

Let’s dive really deep into these questions and the role social norms play in this in today’s Active & Connected Families episode! You can find our podcast Active and Connected Families wherever you listen to your podcasts, or easily click the links below to listen:

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In this episode on parenting during a mental health crisis, we cover:

• • Why I think there’s a mental health crisis among teenagers specifically;
  • How social norms work & promote unhealth;
  • The downside of social norms;
  • How the culture around us is toxic;
  • We need to go against the norms, but how do we do this?;
  • Experiencing anxiety because you’re going against the norms vs anxiety because you’re acting out of line with your values;
  • Low & high stakes norms;
  • Thoughts on parenting during a mental health crisis;
  • And so much more!

More about Virginia Family Therapy

Virginia Family Therapy is a mental health practice serving individuals, families, and our community. VFT is designed to help people at all stages and from all walks of life by offering therapists and physicians with diverse backgrounds and specialties via face-to-face, walk-and-talk, and telemedicine appointments. Throughout, we are committed to developing strengths-based, authentic, and long-lasting relationships with you and your children. We hope to provide you with the support and insight you need to help your family navigate life’s hard times and joys.

Are you or your child struggling with mental health? We have a team of psychologists and psychiatrists who can help you out. You can learn more about our practice or contact us here.

Resources and links mentioned in this episode

• We’d love to hear your feedback on our podcast. Why not leave us a review on Apple Podcasts?
• Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram.
• Have a listen here to the We Can Do Hard Things podcast episode I talk about.
• We’ve got a bunch of episodes for you to binge-listen to! How about this one about actively working on who I want to be in 2023?

Disclaimer: Please remember we are real live therapists, however this is a podcast and is not considered a therapy session. Not only because there is no co-pay but also because we can’t speak to your individual experiences. We are here to help you keep raising healthy kids. And remember, if you are an imperfect parent, we are right there with you. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, please call your local crisis hotline or go to your nearest emergency room.