By: Jason Gerber

In our society, the rising rates of anxiety and depression among our youth are a growing concern. Mental health issues are no longer limited to adults; children, too, are feeling the weight of societal pressures, academic expectations, and the complexities of social interactions.

Many parents find themselves worried and unsure of how to help their children overcome these challenges. The question of how to provide effective support is more pressing than ever.

Each child is unique, and what works for one might not work for another. When you overlay neurodiversity, it becomes even more complex. The complexities of mental health conditions can leave parents feeling overwhelmed and helpless. However, there is hope.

Drawing on the journey shared by Marnie Jurkowski in her book EMBRACE: Navigating the Complexities of ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety with Love, we can understand practical solutions that help on a day-to-day basis as well as how to find lasting healing.

Marnie’s experiences with her son Andy provide invaluable insights into understanding and addressing the mental health challenges that young people with neurodiversity face today.

In this article, we will examine the strategies that parents can apply to make a difference in their children’s day-to-day lives that can be incorporated alongside healing.

Understanding the Challenges

Childhood is often seen as a carefree time, yet children can still experience serious mental health issues. Stress from school, bullying, social media pressures, and personal insecurities can lead to anxiety and depression. When you have a neurodiverse child, all of these pressures are amplified due to their heightened sensitivities.

Marnie’s story about her son, Andy, highlights how these struggles can severely impact a child’s happiness and ability to function. Marnie’s journey shows that these problems can manifest in various ways. For Andy, it was disappearing acts from school, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts.

It became clear that sitting with a psychologist wasn’t enough if Andy was either unable or unwilling to express his feelings. Just as with Andy, each child handles stress differently, necessitating a need to be open to different approaches.

Creating a Safe, Loving Environment

One major aspect of supporting any child with mental health difficulties is creating a safe and loving environment. Marnie emphasizes the importance of ensuring that home is a refuge. Children like Andy, who face challenges on multiple fronts, need a space where they feel safe, accepted, and understood.

This begins with making sure they know that they are loved unconditionally. While this sounds obvious, it is not. Neurodiverse children can feel there is something ‘wrong’ with them. They must know that they are perfect and unconditionally loved and accepted just the way they are. 

Marnie stresses that neurodiversity is a gift and encourages us to find the superpower that your child has with their neurodiversity.  For Andy, it was his ability to help others with his beautiful kindness and compassion.  This helps to reframe from ‘having a problem’ to ‘having a unique ability that normal people don’t have access to’.

While Andy was not diagnosed with ADHD, autism, and anxiety until he was 11 years old, Marnie states this is far more than just a label, allowing her to research and find information that deepened her understanding of what Andy was experiencing, as he was unable to effectively communicate his experiences to her.

Monitoring Technology Use

It has become essential to monitor the impact of screen time on children’s mental health. Marnie discovered that while technology can be an escape, it also poses risks. Andy had access to harmful content despite efforts to control it. Neurodiverse children can have obsessive traits such as impulse control issues, which make managing technology use even more difficult.

EMBRACE emphasizes setting limits on screen time and curating what content your child can access. Encourage breaks from screens and involve them in physical activities or hobbies and get them playing outside as much as possible. These activities can significantly reduce stress and provide healthy outlets for emotions.

Finding the Right School Environment

The traditional school system didn’t work for Andy, causing him immense stress that he could no longer manage. Marnie had to explore alternative education, which ultimately proved more beneficial. If your child struggles in a typical school environment, it may be worth exploring alternative options that may better suit their needs.
Marnie found that the pressure for Andy to keep up in a traditional school environment added to the many other pressures in his life. In her book, she states the importance of finding the right educational environment for your child. 

When Andy changed to an alternative high school that catered to children just like him—not only was he understood and supported with a tailored learning program that removed all pressure to keep up, but he was also in an environment with kids just like him. He found acceptance and he found his people.

Seeking Professional Help

Professional help is crucial when children experience severe mental health issues. It’s important for someone to assess the symptoms and create a tailored treatment plan. For Andy, this meant a change in medication and therapy approaches.

While the medical system was unable to help in terms of treating his depression and anxiety, Andy had a Mental Health Plan, which he used when he was having suicidal thoughts. Having the Mental Health Plan may have saved his life, as he was able to call someone who could help.

The Importance of Believing in Your Child

With all of the issues Andy had, he often came across as naughty. He would hide in the playground and refuse to go into the classroom, or on occasion, he would leave the school altogether and go home. He was treated as a naughty boy. It wasn’t until he was diagnosed that Marnie realized this was severe anxiety. 

Marnie hopes that others can learn through her mistakes in this way—learning the valuable lesson that it is important to believe that your child is never setting out to be naughty and that behaviors that come across as ‘naughty’ are a cry for help. Andy was desperate to feel normal, and it was through his commitment and willingness to try anything to get better that they achieved the success that they did.

Healing

While all of the above are important in helping Andy manage his condition on a day-to-day basis, it is important to seek healing.  It is possible!  Andy experienced profound healing through using the Energy Enhancement System combined with personalized energy healing.  Understanding that we are energetic beings is at the foundation of this. 

Marnie also shares how heavy metals can be the culprit of many mental health and neurological issues.  When Andy commenced the Medical Medium heavy metal detox protocol for ADHD, autism and anxiety, he was able to cease all medications – and has never been better!

Marnie and all those who know and support Andy, saw significant improvement in his mental health within a very short period following energy healing and the heavy metal detox.  Her mission is to share this with the world so others can find healing too.

Final Words

Overcoming the mental health struggles of children is undoubtedly challenging, yet healing is possible.  Marnie shares the importance of managing on a day-to-day basis with understanding, love and acceptance.  However, her goal is to give hope and show that healing is possible.  Be open to new ways of healing and you may just find that your child too, can overcome their mental health struggles. Marnie’s journey in EMBRACE demonstrates the importance of having an open heart and an open mind in supporting your child.

She shows us what is possible when we embrace our suffering as a divine opportunity to grow 

For a deeper understanding and practical guidance on helping your child overcome mental health challenges, explore EMBRACE: Navigating the Complexities of ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety with Love by Marnie Jurkowski.

Her firsthand experiences and thoughtful insights offer valuable support to parents navigating these difficult times. Learn to embrace every aspect of yourself and your child to find the path to healing.

Published by: Erin M.