Mother with mental health issues advice

[whodoyouevenask]

If you suspect a parent has serious undiagnosed mental health issues who can you report?

You could only report if it's causing safety issues to her children but I would suppose you report to social services with the issues that you're noticing that might put the children at harm. I don't think you can report saying you think she had undiagnosed mental health issues, you can only go in with the facts

Report? Would you 'report' a parent with cancer? I think you meant to say 'how can I help them to get the support they deserve?' right? Jesus Christ this place is just horrific sometimes

What do you feel you need to report?

If there is child neglect or mistreatment you can report that to school, social services or NSPCC.

If someone just lives differently to you, that would be your issue.

Support has been refused from many channels. And I don't think a person having cancer would have the same impact to a child. An impact, sure, but not the same.

Take your blasphemy else where.

I think without knowing the exact nature of your concerns it’s hard to say.

But school safeguarding or social services would be your first port of call if you’re concerned about a child being neglected.

Blasphemy? Why do I get the feeling that what you consider mental health issues and what actually are mental health issues are two very different things….?

Depends on the age of your child and the concerns. Say you thought Mum with a baby was caring well for the baby but struggling with PND you could contact the HV team. If you thought a 7 year old was being neglecting then you contact SS.

And I'm sure support has been 'refused' because she is terrified people will judge her ability to parent and take her baby away from her. People like you are the exact reason narratives like this are so pervasive in society still, and why women are still so horrifically let down in the post partum period.

It really depends on whether or not you suspect the mental health condition is detrimental to the child or whether you think the mental health is detrimental to the mother.

Support for the mother would be the primary goal but there is only so much you can do. I had severe mental health problems post birth. I got support initially through the midwives, they liaised with my HV and the perinatal mental health team. When there were serious concerns about my wellbeing and my psychosis my HV stepped and ensured for a week maybe two my partner didn't leave me alone whilst they could arrange a new assessment and review my treatment plan. I had regular appointments with the GP but they didn't do much. My HV put me in touch with a peer support group that had weekly in person meeting and a WhatsApp group. There are other online support groups for women/mothers with mental health conditions. Eventually I went into hospital and probably half of the women in the ward had social services involvement due to concerns about the mother. Some needed staff with them when they had their baby, one woman had to have two members of staff watching her baby at all times. Some of these women are no longer the primary caregivers for their children.

Support is such a broad term and what is appropriate is very varied and dependent on how the potential mental illness is manifesting

What are your concerns?

Mental health difficulties, including mental illness, are common. 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience difficulties at some point. Lots of parents will therefore have a history of difficulties with this aspect of their health.

Having mental health difficulties, including having major mental illnesses, does not automatically make someone an unfit parent.

If you're worried that someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you could offer help, ask them if they want to talk, etc. If you're faced with coping with a crisis situation in which someone is acutely unwell and needs emergency healthcare, you can phone 111 or 999.

If you have reason to believe there is a risk of harm to a child, then depending on the urgency of the situation and your existing level of involvement with the child, you might want to consider anything from speaking with the child's school/GP/HV, to contacting a social worker, to contacting the police if you believe there has been an offence or that there's an emergency.

If you explain a bit more about your actual concerns, you might get better advice for your specific issues.

"Blasphemy" implies that caring about people with mental illness goes against your established doctrine. Says it all really. Very grandiose language OP.

Nasty, pointless post on a nasty, pointless thread lacking in any real detail. 🙄

Are you her (ex) DP? Sounds like exactly the sort of tone and actions a lot of angry controlling ex DPs take when things don't go their way.

Blasphemy due to the use of the word 'Christ'.

Thanks

No I am not her ex. How off.

I am a fellow school mum, our daughters are friends.

Thanks for some of the really useful replies, that's exactly what I needed.

I am trying to establish if there is help out there not destroy this person.

Perhaps 'report' wasn't the correct word but I am not being unkind I'm trying to support the children.

It seems that the vicious accusatory replies come from scorned people. Please don't add any further @Helpineedsomebody23 you clearly are misinterpreting me and I'm finding it upsetting. If this post offends you, go elsewhere with your nastiness.

Given you aren’t clarifying any details or answering questions, but felt the need to write a thread I’m going to hazard a guess and say you are probably someone with a vendetta against the person - an ex or someone she has gone NC with for good reason. If you had real concerns (if I had real concerns anyway) the last place I would be is on mumsnet making a thread about it.

If it’s a school mum (seeing your update) I would think the school would notice that the mum was struggling and help her to get support themselves if she was that unwell or if her children were being effected by it.

It's totally reasonable to ask for help on Mumsnet. Isn't it? Otherwise what's the point of it?

If I had a vendetta I wouldn't write on an anonymous forum for help surely?

I don't want to speak to the school because I don't want to cause any problems for.

I think I will just butt out and hope the school have noticed.

Ffs.

Some really sceptical and vile people. I won't be reading any further updates.