<p>I am starting this petition in the hope that it can change the fortunes of many families that are living with mental illness in their homes.</p><p>For a long time now mental illness in children has been whitewashed and branded a means for parents to demand often legitimate financial help, in the unfortunate event that their child suffers from any form of so called behavioural issues that could constitute any mental health intervention.</p><p>I am not lobbying for any financial gain as I feel that the government do have a legitimate argument given that many parents were claiming extra income illegitimately and purely for financial gain.</p><p>The problem itself lies in the help that is provided to children and the support to the families that are often left to shoulder the problems, it quite literally can break a family when they are forced to consider the so called last resort of temporary foster care, as cruel as it sounds it is not the last resort for many families it is the only resort, born out of lack of help or resources.</p><p>For the handful of children denying there is anything wrong to which they actually need help for, there are an awful lot that recognise they need assistance and are entering a system that offers very little.</p><p>Just to be clear a child entering their teenage years is just as aware of differences they may have from their peers, we are not talking about the subtle discrepancies that we all have with one another that make us all unique, we are talking about deeply fundamental issues that enable us all to coexist and relate to one another.</p><p>If a child like this enters the current system, anxious about their inability to coexist, recognising that their behaviour is not normal, the only real help that is offered is to counsel the child and their family to believe that there is nothing wrong with them, to discuss why the way they are behaving is wrong, any child can easily share the correct answers about acceptable behaviour, as these are repeated requests and conversations they have had prior, after-all it is the inability to behave appropriately and within the known boundaries that triggers the initial cry for help.</p><p>Many families living with these issues hit the same brick wall, it is so easy to visit forums and NHS Mental Health resource pages that give useful diagnosis information to adults that believe that they have mental health issues, it is quite alarming to see the check-list and be able to tick each box and diagnose your child, however taking your diagnosis to a practitioner would be frowned upon and be met with an answer not dissimilar to "We do not diagnose children".</p><p>It is true that our children are left to suffer what I can only describe as a form of cancer, that slowly consumes the decency and the endearing away from them in such a way that they even realise it, yet they are expected to hold off the shroud that is engulfing them until they are adult enough to recognise that they have a problem and seek help again.</p><p>It is a heartbreaking fact that the current system harvests a lot of resentment towards the families actively trying to get help for their loved ones, the tension often escalating when the child is lead to believe they are normal during what should be a critical period for diagnosis.</p><p>One can only expect that the sudden urgency for help will diminish between the early teenage years and adulthood, and given the current insistence of the mental health service to downplay any early symptoms, the child now an adult will believe there is nothing wrong with them, whether they are being sexually inappropriate, hurting or even killing and generally being unable to coexist, at best the outlook is troubling but could easily be avoided.</p><p>We need to address this issue now and lobby this government into changing the current legislation that prevents Mental Health Practitioners from diagnosing children.</p><p>If you are yourself a parent who has a son or daughter in need of help and are convinced, as I am, that the current system is failing them. even if you are not please sign this petition today. Thank you.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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