Thank you so much for talking about this. There's this thing that people share that people with mental illnesses should not have children but that is taking from them an opportunity they might want to experience. Obviously, taking care of children can be stressing but we should focus more on provide support to parents that are struggling than telling them to not have children.
For me, it’s more about the possibility of the kids also having the illness. As someone who inherited her own disability, that seems awfully unfair. We might want to be parents, but we also have to consider the quality of life for the resulting children. Having kids isn’t just about “having an experience you want to have” - it is creating a life, and that little person will grow up to have thoughts and feelings of their own someday.
This is such a challenging topic, and I really appreciate both of you talking about it. I have two beautiful children who live with their dad, when they were pretty young I had my first psychotic break, and I completely disappeared, I was homeless, and very very afraid. It’s taken years of rebuilding, and things still aren’t where I’d like them to be. Being a parent with schizophrenia difference just as much as those individuals experiencing the disease. Thanks for all the wonderful work you to have done, I’ve been following Lauren for years and I’m really grateful to be part of the discord server as well.
Parenting is so hard anyway, add in any mental illness it feels impossible somedays, but having a supportive partner is so important. I have DID CPTSD and I struggle so much some days. Thank you for talking about parenting with serious mental illness, its so stigmatised. I find it hard now my kid is in school, the other parents can do so much more than I can.
Lauren's great I love her channel too. Thank you so much for covering this topic on parenting with schizophrenia @Kody Green it is so important to bring this to the table. Thank you
I could be falling into psychosis again after about two months of wellness. It's a humbling experience I'm not looking towards a complete break from reality again it gets extremely emotional
I have several voices and they talk directly to me thru every sound. Tv,fan, animals, everything. I can barely understand them and I feel like they’re trying to teach me something. I’ve had numerous times where I hear clearly what they say and a few seconds later what they say happens. Most recent today telling me what a text is about to say and then it’s exactly what they said.. if I focus on one voice I can usually get part of what they’re saying but another voice usually interrupts. It’s every second of every day. I can usually ignore it. Idn what to do
I tried listening but couldn’t. I was a single mom of 5. I have lived in my mental illnesses and hallucinations for almost 63 years now. I have no help. I know no people. I don’t leave home and sleep as much as I can. I should be put away.
