{"id":41708,"date":"2021-08-17T06:19:04","date_gmt":"2021-08-17T13:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=41708"},"modified":"2021-08-11T12:45:05","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T19:45:05","slug":"talking-to-your-boomer-parents-about-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/Talking-to-Your-Boomer-Parents-About-Therapy","title":{"rendered":"Talking to Your Boomer Parents About Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GoodTherapy<\/h1>\n

Talking to Your Boomer Parents About Therapy<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n

While the stigma surrounding mental health has dissipated in recent years, many members of society \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and the older generation, in particular \u00e2\u20ac\u201d are still reluctant to seek out the help they need.<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example,\u00c2\u00a0<\/span>one recent study<\/span><\/a>\u00c2\u00a0found that while two out of every three baby boomers live with mental health issues, many brush them off entirely. More specifically, 27 percent don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tell anyone about their symptoms, and 22 percent believe that these conditions aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t serious.<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This makes perfect sense given that boomers, who were born between 1946 and 1964, grew up in a time when mental illness was generally a taboo topic. Many of this generation were raised to think that it was wrong to talk about perceived \u00e2\u20ac\u0153weaknesses\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and that they should toughen up and deal with these issues internally.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, this isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the best approach.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re wondering how to deal with a parent with mental illnesses, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve come to the right place. Before we examine\u00c2\u00a0what\u00c2\u00a0you can do, specifically, to encourage your parents to give therapy a try, let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s take a step back and take a look at some of the major drivers of mental health issues in baby boomers.<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Causes Mental Health Issues in Baby Boomers?<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

While some baby boomers might have struggled with mental health illnesses their whole lives, others may develop new conditions as time goes on.<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some of the most common conditions boomer parents face \u00e2\u20ac\u201d as well as some of the reasons why they come to the surface in the first place:<\/span>\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n