I Wish… - By Nicole Bach

I wish someone told me that it is okay to have a "hyper" child. I wish people knew that having a child with such severe anxiety that she picks her skin open all over her body is not something that is easily cured. I wish someone told me that having these wonderful, unique children does not mean I am doing anything wrong as a mother. I wish someone told me that they wanted to listen to what I was going through day in and day out as a mother. But nobody did and often, I feel alone.

My middle child has been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and IED (Intermittent Explosive Disorder). My youngest has been diagnosed with anxiety and dermatillomania (skin picking disorder). Finding them the Mental Health services they need has not always been easy, as they both need to see a psychiatrist for medication and a therapist for regular, ongoing counseling sessions.

Something I wish the world knew: public insurance puts up barriers and limits your family, even in so far as to which doctor they can see. This is especially frustrating when you are dealing with Behavioral Health, as your children need someone they can trust and confide in, but your options are very limited. I am very lucky that I now have private insurance for my kids; I immediately switched their doctors.

I wish more therapists specialized in more uncommon disorders, like IED and dermatillomania. When you are diagnosed with anything, you want to talk to others who have had it or at least have worked with others who have had it, but this is usually not an option. My children will say to me "they just don't understand". And you know what? They're right. But I wish they weren't.