
“Let books be the children’s babysitters.” This is a wise assertion by Toru Kumon, creator of the Kumon method of learning, which today has over 4 million students around the world, and is the focus of this article. Education has sought dozens…
Although it’s not often talked about, some children have parents with paranoid personality disorder. These children suffer the effects of unstable family relationships, scarring emotional instability, and a dysfunctional environment. Later in life, they have an elevated risk of mental illness. Clearly, these children and their families need the help of medical professionals.
People with personality disorders, schizophrenia, and disassociative disorders are still people. They still fall in love and have children and their own families. But without proper social and family support, many of them have to deal with complex, difficult, family situations that often go unnoticed.
Mental health and social services professionals have to be very attentive with children and adolescents who grow up with a family member with a psychological disorder.
Unfortunately, people with paranoid personality disorder often have a difficult time forming relationships with the people around them. To make things worse, it’s also a difficult mental illness to treat. All of this can quickly create very complex family situations, to which children are very vulnerable. Therefore, it’s important to raise awareness of the difficult home situations this mental illness can cause and address them with compassion.
We still don’t know how or why some people develop paranoid personality disorder. It’s generally thought to be a complex combination of biological, genetic, and social factors. But this disorder can be one of the most difficult to cope with for several reasons. It not only affects all areas of the person’s life, it makes it very difficult to create healthy relationships, including personal, work, and family relationships.
Some common characteristics of paranoid personality disorder are:
There have been several studies on the impact of having a parent with paranoid personality disorder. But keep in mind that the impact on children is twofold. First, paranoid personality disorder has a genetic component. There’s a clear evidence that the tendency to develop this disease can be passed from one generation to the next.
However, genetics never guarantee that someone will develop a mental illness. Without a doubt, their environment and upbringing have a more significant impact on a child’s development. This second way a parent’s illness affects children is where the real problem lies. Let’s take a look at what scientific research shows about the growth and development of children who grow up with a parent with paranoid personality disorder.
Children of people with paranoid personality disorder undoubtedly need personalized psychosocial intervention. But it’s important to remember that an unpredictable family environment has far-reaching effects and that the treatment shouldn’t focus on the child alone. Intervention and treatment should extend to the entire environment, including the parents.
However, older children who are already in school will need much more specific psychological intervention. The child or adolescent needs help to develop a good self-esteem and build positive relationships with their peers. They should also be encouraged to try hobbies and pursue their interests as a tool to help them deal with the stress of having a mentally ill parent.
Children of people with paranoid personality disorder need specific help in many aspects of their lives. However, with the right support, they can grow up to be healthy, happy, and productive people.