Mental health issues aren’t a person-centered issue; it is a family-centered occurrence.
Untreated childhood trauma can become a community and/or national crisis.
Research shows that children with high ACE Scores (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and health risks are far more likely to face mental health struggles as adults. Many of those challenges go unreported or undiagnosed.
Parent’s Silent Tears
But what about the rest of the family?
What effect does it have on the parent(s) who stay vigilant over a child who believes the only way to stop the eternal pain from within is death itself?
When a child at three tells their parent they want to be an angel. An angel to protect their sibling from the demon that’s torturing them, and you.
A young person’s understanding of a great-grandparent’s death is influenced by the absence of guidance. This includes a lack from sources like a death doula on how to explain loss, particularly to neurodivergent children.
Silent Prayer for Help
Who supports the parent(s) who live in a fortress for the well-being of their child? Where sharp objects, chemicals, and medications are under lock and key at all times. Emotions are locked away because the child feeds off the slightest change in the caregiver’s temperament.
Who actually stands up for parents? Agencies strip away our identities. They treat us as guilty from the beginning. We are forced to defend ourselves, even after we uncover medical anomalies. The harsh realities are now painfully obvious.
Parents often end up with issues without counseling and support. Often, the parent who supports the child through the crisis must join in family counseling and individual sessions.
Yet again, I ask, Where are you? Where are those who understand the need in the black and brown communities for young children, especially our young men?