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Topic Tuesday // Mental health challenges in parenthood // Tues. 21 June, 7pm AEST

CherryBombSenior Contributor01 June 2016, 10:40 pm AEST

Topic Tuesday // Mental health challenges in parenthood // Tues. 21 June, 7pm AEST

Mental health challenges in parenthood: Speaking the unspeakable

Parenting is challenging. Change can happen in every area of wellbeing: physical, emotional and social, and the impact on daily functioning can be huge. Knowing when and how to speak up about the difficulties of parenting is complex. There are often expectations that define parenthood as something to be enjoyed. But sometimes these expectations don't match reality. Join us this Topic Tuesday with our special guests from PANDA to talk about how to speak the unspeakable.

Two things you can do now:

1. Register as a member of the forums, which enables you to participate in the session

2. Hit the like button below to receive an email reminder on the night

3. Can't make it? Leave your question below to be answered during the session

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In response to: Topic Tuesday // Mental health challenges in parenthood // Tues. 21 June, 7pm AEST

SanefanContributor21 June 2016, 9:04 am AEST

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mental health challenges in parenthood // Tues. 21 June, 7pm AEST

A social assumption is that family are always there when a family member is experiencing a crisis. It can be devastating when this is not the case, as in my lived experience after asking for support (visiting for a cup of tea)from my large family when discovering that one of our children was using an illicit drug. This can negatively impact on a parents' mental health and wellbeing further and it is difficult then to know who to trust, who to reach out to for further help and support. Social stigma, shame and guilt are alive and well in rural regions of Australia. How can we educate communities to work together in combating these issues, supporting loving families and their children who are shunned by their communities? It DOES take a village to build a stronger community.

In response to: Topic Tuesday // Mental health challenges in parenthood // Tues. 21 June, 7pm AEST

DecadianSenior Contributor21 June 2016, 9:05 am AEST

Re: Topic Tuesday // Mental health challenges in parenthood // Tues. 21 June, 7pm AEST

I will make an effort to get to this forum tonight

My subject is that parenthood does not stop as our children get older - my daughter is 44 and I am sure does not realise that I am still activity parenting even though it is in a "hands off" mode.

Her brother ended his troubled life when he was 16 and she was 14 - and she never has wanted to talk about it - never has talked about it - doesn't want to talk about him -

But her resentment is so obvious I could take a photo of it - and I just let her alone

But I feel her attitude - and I am letting her alone for weeks at a time - I am not welcome at birthdays etc - even Christmas is difficult - I know she has her own life - and I certainly have mine

So - my question - seeing as I am a parent - parenting continues - and yet it is hard to know how to parent someone in their 40s with so much underlying tension

Decadian