Parenting With Mental Illness When Kids Are Sick With The Flu

Mental illness rears its ugly head and swells larger with every hour of sleep I miss out on like a growing toy expanding in a bowl of water…

Every parent struggles when their kids (and themselves) are sick. We know whatever one child is experiencing will soon spread like wildfire through siblings and eventually find its way to you.

Little to no sleep. Snotty noses. Care taking around the clock. There are no sick days for parents regardless of how tired and terrible you feel.

But for those of us who suffer from mental illness, sickness adds another piece to an already complicated puzzle.

My wife may feel terrible, but she isn’t hyper-focusing on symptoms, can’t almost feel the disease enter her system with every sneeze or cough, and doesn’t get so restless and anxious from lack of sleep that she feels like she’s jumping out of her skin all while dealing with the heavy load of taking care of a child’s endless needs.

There too is the selfish gene that seems to be on steroids with lack of sleep and the sickness of a winter cold or the flu. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde balance becomes completely out of whack. There’s a whole lot more of Mr. Hyde then you’re used to. That alone can be terrifying, but then there’s the irrational fear that your mental illness is taking over and going to drive you into the depths of insanity.

I have been living out this war the past few days, trying to survive in the trenches. Sometimes I wonder if it’s just me that has this extra weight on my back when I’m sick and living in a household of sick people. All my demons seem to be activated. It’s exhausting trying to suppress them all while still not neglecting my parental duties.

It just reinforces how important sleep and self care are to my recovery. It’s a good reminder of what is waiting to come out of hibernation should I not continue to keep the place it occupies in my mind dark and cold.

Parenting is hard in general–extremely rewarding but hard. Parenting with mental health struggles adds another layer, but it doesn’t mean your illness disqualifies you or that you can’t thrive as a parent. But in the trenches it can be tough. I sympathize with all the parents that are struggling with their own mental health. This too shall pass even if it feels endless at the moment.

Do you have any of the same struggles as a mentally ill parent dealing with sick kids?

Are there any tips or tricks you use to cope with the extra demands and take care of your mental health?