BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Parents juggle work, children, among many other things. Life can get so consuming that they forget about their mental health. Health care professionals dive into some tools parents can adopt for life.
- May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
- Health care professionals suggest that the community normalize therapy.
- Finding time in your day whether it is just five minutes of quiet time can boost your mental health, and relationships with friends and family.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Parents have the biggest load on their backs when it comes to balancing their children, work, and their mental health. I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it's important to find that time for yourself so you can continue to provide for your family.
Parents can be like superheroes; how they manage to get everything done in a limited amount of hours is commendable. However, experts tell us that parents need to balance things out, take time, and make time for their mental well-being.
Evita Limon-Rocha Child Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist said "Our kids and those around us are always watching what we are doing. By showing and taking care of our mental health, we are giving a really good example for our kids to follow."
The US Department of Health and Human Services released a downloadable document that highlights the things that parents under pressure experience. They mention the top things where stress can come into your daily life as a parent, and how to overcome them.
HHS: Parental Mental Health & Well-Being
The Stressors include:
- Financial Strain, Economic Instability, and Poverty
- Time Demands
- Children Health
- Children Safety
- Parental isolation and loneliness
- Technology and social media
- Cultural pressures and children futures
Lupita Reyes Clinical Director at the Psychiatric Wellness Center said "One of the biggest pieces, like once you become a parent. Now it's my responsibility to deal with the things when I was younger, I didn't have control over. One thing I've learned is how to be in tuned with myself, that if I'm okay the kids will be okay. Holding down a job is a family affair. Everyone in the family feels it, and they all have a role and a piece to play."
Health care professionals tell me one thing they've noticed over the years is how important it is to be in tune with yourself. Give yourself a few minutes at the end of your day and relax, listen to music, do whatever makes you happy!
"As a parent we give so much to our children and life demands a lot from us, to be able to meet all the multitude of demands it's really important that we are taking care of ourselves." said Rocha
Another source of healing can be therapy, health care professionals say it's something that is brushed under the bridge for a lot of cultures in America.
"Therapy is a intimidating word, we think we are going to have someone who is going to dissect our thoughts and feelings or apply some kind of psycho-dynamic processes to the things we may think. But the reality is that it doesn't go that far, it's really meeting the needs of the person." said Reyes
Health care professionals want the community to normalize therapy as it can be a source to heal your mental health. For 23ABC I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter.
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