Helping Your Child with a Mental-health Issue
EPISODE #46 | February 28th, 2020
Guest: Katie Robberson, Instructor at SIU-E School of Business | Certified MHFA Instructor | Mother of Three
The first time she experienced a panic attack, Katie Robberson was in college. The resulting fear that the chest pains, breathing difficulties, and loss of control might blindside her again caused even more stress and more frequent attacks. So, when her now-13-year-old son started acting out as a young child, Katie intuited what might be fueling the emotional behavior that didn’t fit the situation. She and her husband started asking him questions and discovered that his strong reactions stemmed from anxiety and unreasonable fears that he was experiencing but didn’t know how to express. That’s when they knew they needed to intervene.
Having healthy parental expectations for kids is good and normal. But what happens when the child interprets those expectations as undue pressure, and he begins to shut down or act out because anxiety takes hold? Hear how Katie and her husband navigate the mental-health system for their son, as Katie shares her family’s story and her experiences as a Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor in this week’s Mental Health Matters with Executive Director Tom Duff, LCSW.
