When Someone You Love Has a Mental Illness

<p>I grew up with parents who both had mental health diagnoses: PTSD, depression, schizoaffective disorder… and it was FAR from easy. I remember how scared and embarrassed I'd be when my dad would be found walking around the block of the 'hood naked. Or the time he slipped a knife under my mattress telling me I had to be protected "just in case."</p><p>I remember how unloved I felt and how scared I was when my mom would hit me.</p><p>I also remember the inner struggles of wanting to love them so much but finding it so difficult at times. I'd scream and yell and pull back ... and sometimes, I'm embarrassed to say, I'd shame my father for the things he did. I was too afraid of my mom to do the same to her.</p><p>I was not proud of how I showed up. </p><p>This week is about cultivating practices that help us come to these challenges with more love, compassion + wisdom.</p><p>Because everyone deserves that. And <strong>I believe we all want to show up for the people we love from a place of integrity. </strong></p><p><strong>Having this type of relationship with BOTH parents was exhausting, among many other feelings, and</strong> I know I’m not alone here. </p><p>In the U.S. an estimated 1 in 5 adults has had a mental illness at some point in their lives. Worldwide that prevalence is estimated to be 1 in 4 people. So the odds are that every person reading this will know someone who has a mental illness or may even be diagnosed with one themselves. I myself have had really hard times with depression and anxiety and have seen this from both sides. </p><p>So this is an important topic, and one that I'm sure to just touch the tip of the iceberg since there is so much more to it.</p><p>This pod is about some of the things we can do to help us show up as our best selves when there is someone in our life who has a mental illness. Maybe you have a parent who struggles with anxiety or OCD and their habits are wearing you out. Or your partner suffers from depression and you just can’t relate to their mindset or the days when th