Stories
By sharing our knowledge and experiences, we can put an end to the myths and assumptions around parental mental illness. If you want to share your own story and help others find out more about parental mental illness, you can submit your blog or your vlog online through the Our Time website.
A father’s story – how Our Time helped my family
My name is Iain Wraith. I am a single father who brought up my twin daughters whilst suffering from bi-polar disorder.
Being Seen and Heard in School
In the last 20 years, I can think of many times when my understanding of what children say they need has been invaluable. Before I discovered Our Time, it was a different story.
How school supported me when my parent had a mental illness
I could tell that my year six teacher had guessed something was going on at home. She didn’t ask outright or probe me. She knew I wouldn’t spill.
Falling through the ‘young carer’ cracks
I read with interest this week, a moving story of a girl who has a mother with schizoaffective disorder and spina bifida. She spent much of her time growing up hiding the fact she was caring for her mother.
Peter’s Story
Vlog: Kirsty from Our Time interviews Peter Ward who shares memories of his father who had a mental illness.
A mum’s perspective
Our Time has been a major life saver for me and my family. I am a single mum of three young children, 10-year-old Eve, four-year-old Gabby, and Jacob who is one and a half.
The impact of childhood trauma and how it can be addressed
If you work with children and young people you will have heard a lot about the impact of childhood trauma, and will probably know about trauma-informed approaches to supporting vulnerable children.
Why is it so difficult to address parental mental illness?
Our upcoming campaign, ‘Being Seen and Heard’ came out of a cry for help from the children of parents with a mental illness. They told us that they were overlooked, talked over and ignored, despite the fact that they lived in the situation and knew most about their parent’s illness.
Reasons why I stand up for the rights of children who have a parent with a mental illness
Life is tough for parents with a mental illness – but it’s also tough for their children. It is impossible to make this issue go away so I feel it’s my duty to raise awareness of it, so these children get the support they need to help them through.
I realised why Mum was different and that I had nothing to be ashamed of
My mum had postnatal depression when I was born and is also bipolar, so I’ve always known mental illness. When I was two years old, I was sent to Nigeria with my elder sister, Sabrina, and we stayed there, living with my father’s family for the following seven years.
