Bens mum has a mental health diagnosis

I was asleep; all of a sudden I heard a noise. It was mum downstairs. She was crying it was half past four in the morning. I asked her what was wrong she shouted “Nothing get back to bed.” I didn’t know what to do I was only 11. She does this often and I don’t know why or what I can do to help her, I just didn’t know what she was doing.

When I was 12 my mum explained that this was the way she will always be, because she has a mental health problem. I didn’t know what that meant so I asked a school teacher. She explained that it was serious. The mental health problem explained why my mum would shout at me for no reason.

It explained why she got nervous in public and why she thought people stared at her. She felt like she couldn’t cope with going outside, why she doesn’t have any friends and she always seems down and low. I have to do everything to help her and look after myself.

I knew she needed help so I got advice from my doctor. He gave me a number where I could get professional help. When I rang the number I explained about my mum and now she has professional help to cope. Now things in life seem a lot easier and we both have a friend who knows.

If you think you are like Ben you can look online for more information at www.rethink.org. 50,000 children and young people care for someone who has a mental health problem in the UK.