Around 25 per cent of Australian adults will, at some time in their lives, suffer from a diagnosable mental health problem, most prominently depression or anxiety, including phobias. And as many of these people will be parents, unfortunately some of these behaviours are bound to be passed-onto their children.
“Maybe someone can’t go into lifts; or onto planes; or can’t give a speech at work,” explains Leslie Posen, a Melbourne-based clinical psychologist, with a special interest in phobias and anxiety disorders.
“And while there is a strong family history involved with these conditions; we don’t really know for sure if they’re inherited or environmental (learned).
“But if parents are living with these themselves, then it is very easy to pass them onto the kids – as they’re so very perceptive and learn so much from watching and copying.”
Leslie explains that the more you try to hide your behaviour, the more conspicuous you actually become. “When kids see mum getting nervous and flustered, they’ll pick up on it,” he says. “So instead, you really need to make sure you are getting professional help if you feel you need it, and then try to demonstrate that you’re managing.
“For example, if your anxiety is about housework – or you might like shoes in the wardrobe to be lined up perfectly – then it’ll really help your kids if you say something like: “This is how I prefer things”; rather than insisting that this is how it must be done.
“Help kids to learn they can be flexible and have the control to do things their way.”
Some include:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post traumatic stress
Social anxiety
Panic disorder
These behaviours become an issue when they have serious negative impact on a child’s life.
For more information about Leslie, his website address is: www.flightwise.com.au
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