Daventry dad opens up about mental health struggles after being cut from child's life

The man, who will remain anonymous, contacted The Daventry Express ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week which runs from May 10-16.

He wants to reach out to other parents who may be going through the same heartbreaking experience.

"I have experienced the pain of being excluded from a child’s life for the past 18 years," he said.

"In that time I have seen people commit suicide and make unhealthy lifestyle choices such as alcoholism and drug use."

He compared the pain to grief.

"The pain feels like a living bereavement without closure," he added,

"So, please empathise not just with the exiled parent, extended family and grandparents, but also with the vulnerable mind of a developing child who often has no choice and is rendered completely powerless. The children affected often robotically repeat the rhetoric of the dominant parent. This has parallels to brainwashing."

The dad, unable to cope with the pain, has been sectioned a number of times. He said doctors and psychiatrists have failed to recognise the abandonment wound caused by parental alienation.

He added: "The family unit, no matter how broken down, is the foundations for good mental health in children. Children are the future, so it is imperative that young people know their roots, so they can grow and develop authentically, as this will improve society from within. If we are to have branches that ascend to heaven, then deep roots are essential.

"It is said that if people have to go to court to gain parental responsibility/access then parental alienation is already a thing, when children are alienated, they typically learn from the alienating parent, a sort of unhealthy spiritual bypassing, which stunts true growth, by setting the example of avoiding of conflict resolution and how to work through difficulties. This is bypassing and undermines fundamental life skills. Often children that have been exposed to alienation/ forced abandonment; when they reach adulthood are frequently misdiagnosed and are unnecessary medicated due to burying the hurt even deeper until they become numb."

He said the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders now includes parent alienation within its contents.

"This is as well as psychology magazines/articles pointing out that this now needs to be recognised as child abuse as it is coercive and controlling behaviour, that has devastating long lasting consequences.

The father has worked to improve his health and launched his own business aimed at helping other people.

He still hasn't seen his child.

He concluded: "If you cut off half a plant's roots, it will never really flower or bloom to its full potential."

The theme for this year's Mental Heatlh Awareness Week is 'Nature'.

For more information, visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week