Blame can divide. Compassion can unite.
If you have a teen or adult child with mental illness and/or addiction, you may at times experience their anger directed at you.
I don’t want you to internalize that. Their anger likely has nothing to do with you.
It can be anger at their illness, addiction, life circumstances, difficulties and hardships related to their illness.
These things have nothing to do with you.
When they are angry, if they internalize the anger, holding it inside, they may blame themselves or others. And their illness likely makes it more difficult to process the anger.
As a parent, you may also find yourself dealing with anger through blame. For example, you may blame yourself for your child’s illness or addiction, or you may blame your child.
It’s important to remember that their illness is not your fault or theirs.
Blame can divide. Compassion can unite.
So next time you feel angry, examine whether you are directing blame towards yourself or your child, and remind yourself that neither of you are to blame and that they, just like you, do not want this predicament and didn’t ask for it. Instead, tap into your compassion for what they are having to endure.
Sending love and light,
Debbie
Are you struggling with the challenges of having a son or daughter with mental illness or addiction and looking for support? To find out more about how my one-on-one coaching support can help, the link is in the comments.