I’m Family
Adapt for Life offers families mental health and wellbeing resources intended to help you help your child. We equip families with the information and tools they need to practice healthy behaviors that children learn in class, at home.
We support families by helping you:
Understand the range of mental health in children and adolescents, what mental health symptoms might look like, and possible warning signs of child in need.
Give you the tools and resources to help or get help for your child.
Guide you on how to have a conversation about mental health with your child.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
Call the Lifeline 24/7 for free, confidential support or for prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.
ADAPT Framework:
A Process for Helping Yourself or Others
As part of the Adapt for Life program, students learn the difference between adaptive and maladaptive behaviors and how those behaviors cause certain outcomes. Our program focuses on achieving desirable outcomes by making healthy, adaptive choices. But what do we do in times of struggle when it can be difficult to understand how we got there and what’s going on?
In moments of stress, it can be difficult to make healthy, adaptive choices. The ADAPT framework was created to help students—and people of all ages—develop healthy behaviors and important life skills for managing stress. You can use the ADAPT framework to tackle stress during everyday moments or in times of crisis.
Mental Health Conditions Are
Very Common
More than 100 million Americans—or nearly one in every three people in the U.S.—have a close family member who suffers from a major mental illness. Of the 10 leading causes of disability, half are psychiatric. Currently, depression is believed to be the major cause of disability in the world. It’s also estimated that only 10-20% of those requiring care in the United States receive care in a mental health setting, with the rest receiving their primary care from family.
Review some statistics on mental health and mental illness to find out just how common mental health conditions are and the impact.
The Role of Genetics
Approximately 68% of women and 57% of men with mental health problems are parents, furthering the debate around nature versus nurture. In other words, is a person born with a mental health condition or do they develop it as part of life?
We’ve known for a long time, from twin studies, that all major psychiatric disorders have a heritable component. Research shows that genes play a role in increasing or decreasing a person’s risk of developing a disease or condition. But currently, no known gene can predict with certainty that a person will develop a mental disorder, and personal life circumstances play a significant role in mental health as well. This means that even if we inherited a gene for mental health conditions, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that we will develop a mental health condition. Additionally, people who have no genes for mental health conditions may develop a mental health condition due to a significant life event, such as the death of a loved one, a major life change like divorce or loss of a job, etc.
Most people don’t think twice about seeking treatment for a physical condition in order to feel better. But oftentimes, many people suffering from mental illness will delay care or forego treatment entirely. If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health, it’s helpful to remember that there is no shame in it—and it’s no different from struggling with a physical condition. Acknowledging and accepting that there may be a mental health condition not only helps to reduce the stigma, shame, and secrecy, it increases the likelihood that someone will get treatment.
If your child is struggling with a mental health condition, have compassion for your child and yourself. Advocate for your child in getting him/her the treatment s/he needs. Also, grant yourself grace and give yourself the space to think and feel what you need to. No one chooses to have a mental health condition, but each of us CAN choose how to manage our condition. It’s possible to live a happy, fulfilled life with a mental health condition, but you have to acknowledge it and seek treatment.
Treat Mental Health Like Physical Health
There Is Hope
It’s important to remember that diagnosis isn’t destiny. Your child may have a mental health condition, but your child is much more than the condition. The effects of mental illness ripple beyond the person affected by the condition to other members of the family. Taking time to learn how to help a person with a mental health condition needs to be balanced with making sure that each person’s wellbeing is being addressed, while also maintaining healthy relationships and family dynamics. Taking care of others requires us to first take care of ourselves and ensure we have the energy, resources, and compassion needed.
Take steps to:
Educate yourself, your child, and anyone you can about mental health to reduce the stigma and combat misinformation.
Connect with resources and your support community.
Encourage your child to be part of the health care conversations and communicate openly, frequently, and kindly to bring hope and support along the path to wellness.