7 Tips for Navigating Parenthood While Living With Schizophrenia
The exhaustion of infancy and those oh-so-busy toddler days is hard enough for any parent. But when you’re also managing schizophrenia, the daily grind can feel even more challenging. Living with this type of mental illness uniquely compounds the complex emotional demands that come with having kids.
Living with schizophrenia while raising kids can add a layer of stress to already hectic days. But with a support system, “Parents with mental illness can definitely take care of their children,” says Sandeep Grover, MD, a professor of psychiatry at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, who also coauthored this research.
To help, here are some smart ways to navigate the sometimes bumpy — yet rewarding — parenting journey.
1. Create Daily Routines for Yourself and Your Family
2. Speak Up About Parenting Challenges and Ask for Help
It can be hard to reach out and ask for help when you want to prove your independence and capability as a parent. But living with schizophrenia and having little kids isn’t the time to go it alone. Experts agree that having a solid support system you can rely on is one of the most important coping mechanisms for parents who have this type of mental illness.
3. Join a Schizophrenia Support Group for Parents
4. Stay on Top of Your Prescribed Treatment Plan
Antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers are often the first line of treatment for schizophrenia. Side effects can accompany these medications, making it tempting to skip doses or stop taking them altogether. But it’s important to stick with your treatment plan, as severe symptoms may return without proper treatment. “Parents need to continue with their medications in order to take care of their children,” says Dr. Grover.
5. Focus on Healthy Eating and Exercise
6. Take Steps to Ease Stress
7. Curb Alcohol and Cigarette Use
The Takeaway
- With the right tools and support in place, it’s fully possible to be a loving and effective parent to your children when you have schizophrenia.
- Establishing routines — and sticking to them — can provide structure and predictability that’s beneficial to both you and your children.
- Leaning on your network of family and friends, plus connecting with other parents who are also managing schizophrenia, can provide practical help and emotional support to help you through any challenges that come your way.
- Stay on top of your prescribed treatment and check in with your doctor if you’re experiencing any symptoms or side effects that prevent you from being the parent you want to be.
Angela D. Harper, MD
Medical Reviewer
Angela D. Harper, MD, is in private practice at Columbia Psychiatric Associates in South Carolina, where she provides evaluations, medication management, and psychotherapy for adults.
A distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Harper has worked as a psychiatrist throughout her career, serving a large number of patients in various settings, including a psychiatric hospital on the inpatient psychiatric and addiction units, a community mental health center, and a 350-bed nursing home and rehab facility. She has provided legal case consultation for a number of attorneys.
Harper graduated magna cum laude from Furman University with a bachelor's degree and cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, where she also completed her residency in adult psychiatry. During residency, she won numerous awards, including the Laughlin Fellowship from the American College of Psychiatrists, the Ginsberg Fellowship from the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training, and resident of the year and resident medical student teacher of the year. She was also the member-in-training trustee to the American Psychiatric Association board of trustees during her last two years of residency training.
Harper volunteered for a five-year term on her medical school's admission committee, has given numerous presentations, and has taught medical students and residents. She currently supervises a nurse practitioner. She is passionate about volunteering for the state medical board's medical disciplinary commission, on which she has served since 2015.
She and her husband are avid travelers and have been to over 55 countries and territories.
Jennifer Kelly Geddes
Author
Jennifer Kelly Geddes is a New York City-based freelance writer and editor, who covers health, wellness, pregnancy, and parenting. She has held positions at Food & Wine, Parenting, Seventeen, and Airbnb magazines and was a research editor at Parenting for more than a decade. Jennifer has also worked as a research editor for Kiwi, Scholastic Parent & Child, Dr. Oz: The Good Life, Modern Farmer, CR Fashion Book, V, VMan, Parents, and National Geographic Kids. She has created custom content for dozens of websites, including Care, SafeBee, Fisher-Price, Mastercard, the National Sleep Foundation, Realtor, Working Mother, Grandparents, Time Out New York KIDS, Good Housekeeping, and Chewy. She holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College and an MA from Columbia University. And she is the mom of two teen girls and a rescue pup named Django. An avid tennis player, cross-country skier, and yoga enthusiast, she divides her time between West Harlem in Manhattan and Ghent, New York.