Assisting Offspring of Moms Struggling with Mental Health Issues
In a heartfelt conversation with psychotherapist Dr. Waltraut Barnowski-Geiser, an adult child of a schizophrenic mother shares their experiences and the challenges they face.
The speaker, who has sat in front of Dr. Barnowski-Geiser in the KlangRaum practice in Erkelenz, has a low self-esteem and questions whether their mother's beliefs are accurate. Their mother believes that the speaker is Mary Magdalene and the brother is John the Baptist, a belief that causes confusion and a sense of detachment from reality.
Growing up with a mentally ill mother, the speaker was trained to not speak too much about what goes on at home. It's normal, they say, for adult children of seriously mentally ill mothers to be expected to put their mother's needs before their own. This upbringing has left the speaker with a nonjudgmental attitude towards others, but also with feelings of guilt, self-hatred, and anger towards their mother.
The speaker lives with the constant expectation of a crisis. It's not uncommon for a social worker and a police car to chase a mentally ill mother during a section. No one asks if the child is okay, even if they are weeping or have swollen eyes and flushed cheeks, in such situations. This neglect and lack of attention can lead to the child suffering themselves.
The speaker advocates for the importance of understanding and helping children of seriously mentally ill mothers. They express a deep and profound sense of loss and depression, feeling a sense of insecurity and difficulty trusting others due to their mother's mental illness.
Dr. Barnowski-Geiser, an artistic therapist, teacher, and author, developed the AWOKADO-7-step program to help individuals like the speaker address these issues. Through this program, the speaker is learning to cope with their past and move towards a healthier future.
The speaker's story serves as a reminder of the struggles faced by children of seriously mentally ill mothers. It's a call to action for society to acknowledge these issues and provide the necessary support to these individuals.
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