Back-to-school season can feel like an overwhelming list of to-dos. There are new schedules to figure out, school forms to sign, supplies to buy, lunches to pack, practices to coordinate, and about a hundred emails suddenly landing in your inbox. And if your child has ADHD, an IEP, a 504 plan, anxiety, or other additional needs, you may be managing an entirely separate layer of planning and communication.
We spend so much time focusing on how kids adjust to a new school year, but back-to-school season for parents is a transition too. It can sometimes take a bigger toll on your mental health than you expect.
The Overlooked Toll for Parents
A new school year can completely change the rhythm of your home.
You may be waking up earlier, rushing through mornings, helping with homework at the end of a long workday, answering messages from teachers, keeping track of appointments, and trying to make sure everyone gets where they need to be.
Somewhere in all of that, your own routine can disappear.
Research from The Ohio State University found that 57% of parents surveyed reported experiencing parental burnout. Higher levels of burnout were also associated with more stress, anxiety, and depression.
That doesn’t mean every exhausting week is a mental health crisis. Sometimes September is simply overall exhausting. But it does mean that if you feel drained, irritable, overwhelmed, or like you have very little left for yourself, you’re far from the only parent feeling that way.
For parents navigating ADHD and school transitions, there can be even more to manage. If that sounds familiar, our blog focused on ADHD and back-to-school offers practical ways to prepare for the school year.
When Parent Stress Becomes More Than a Busy Season
Feeling frazzled during the first few weeks of school does not automatically mean something is wrong. Transitions are stressful.
But parent stress and depression deserve more attention when symptoms continue even after routines begin to settle.
Maybe you’re sleeping but never feel rested. You’re increasingly irritable or anxious. Things you normally enjoy feel like another obligation. You’re struggling to concentrate at work, withdrawing from people, or feeling persistently low.
At that point, it may be worth exploring mental health support for caregivers rather than assuming you simply need to “push through.”
What If You’ve Already Tried Changes and Treatment?
Caregiver burnout treatment can look different for everyone. Therapy, changes in routine, additional support at home, medication, or psychiatric care may all be appropriate depending on your symptoms and history. Or, they can all be pieces of a bigger picture.
Some parents are dealing with something deeper than temporary overwhelm, especially those who have lived with depression or anxiety long before the school year started. The added pressure can quickly make existing symptoms harder to manage.
For parents with treatment-resistant depression, especially those who have already tried traditional antidepressants without adequate relief, advanced psychiatric treatment options may be worth discussing with a provider.
At Bluewater Psychiatry, treatment options can include:
- TMS therapy, a non-invasive, FDA-cleared treatment option for treatment-resistant depression.
- Spravato®, an FDA-approved esketamine nasal spray administered under medical supervision for eligible adults with treatment-resistant depression. If you are searching for Spravato as an anxious parent, please note this is specifically approved for certain forms of depression, so a psychiatric evaluation is important to determine whether it is appropriate for you.
- Ketamine infusion therapy, another advanced option that may be considered for appropriately screened patients whose depression has not effectively responded to traditional first line treatments.
Our approach is to understand what you have already tried, what you are experiencing now, and which treatment option may make sense for you.
You Don’t Have to Wait Until You’re Completely Overwhelmed
Parents are often very good at noticing when their children need support while minimizing their own needs. But taking care of your mental health isn’t separate from taking care of your family, it is part of it.
If you’re looking for a psychiatrist for parents in East Providence, RI, Bluewater Psychiatry is here to help. We accept Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield, although coverage depends on your individual plan, benefits, and treatment.
Book a Discovery Call to discuss what you’ve been experiencing and explore whether additional support may be right for you.
Or, if someone else in your family is struggling, our guide on how to support a loved one with their mental health offers additional ways to approach those conversations.