How Personality Disorders Can Affect Custody Cases

The ability to effectively parent and your mental health are clearly related. Children of parents who have mental health issues tend to have more social, behavioral, and academic challenges. Children with parents who suffer from mental health issues are more likely to have attention-deficit disorder, learning disabilities, depression, and anxiety. They are also at a greater risk for substance abuse and criminal activity. However, not all children with a parent who suffers from mental health issues develop poor social, behavioral, and academic outcomes. However, the attorneys at Smith Strong, PLC can help you develop a plan to facilitate a healthy life for everyone in the family – both you, your ex-spouse, and your children – and will help prevent your child from developing behavioral or emotional problems.

Four Types of Mental Illness in Adults

There are four types of mental illnesses in adults, each with differences in symptoms and treatment:

• Major mental illness
• Adjustment reaction
• Specific disorders
• Personality disorders

Many Parents Don’t Realize They Suffer from Personality Disorder, Thus Preventing Treatment

These mental illnesses require treatment. However, many parents don’t even realize they suffer from a mental illness, specifically when it comes to personality disorders. Personality disorders exist when a person has exaggerated personality traits that influence and interfere with many aspects of a functioning life. People with personality disorder are likely not aware that their perception of reality is exaggerated or distorted.

Those Who Seek Treatment Oftentimes Quit

Studies have shown that those who do seek treatment for personality disorder typically drop out, with about 70% of patients dropping out of treatment.

Because of this general lack of awareness of personality disorders and lack of successful treatment, many parents continue to let their mental illness have a harmful impact on their child. Our attorneys will do their best to help devise a plan to protect your child from the damaging effects of these sorts of personality disorders.