משנים תודעה
עמותת 'זה בנפשי' פועלת להעלאת המודעות הציבורית ולשינוי התפיסה החברתית בנוגע לילדים ובני נוער המתמודדים עם אתגרים נפשיים. העמותה יוזמת כנסים, ימי עיון וקמפיינים להעלאת מודעות הציבור ולשינוי התפיסה בנוגע לילדים ולבני הנוער מתמודדי נפש, לוקחת חלק פעיל בדיונים ציבוריים ובוועדות בכנסת ומקיימת קשר רציף עם נציגי ציבור ושותפים מקצועיים כדי להשפיע מבפנים על עיצוב. מדיניות שתתקדם הכלה, תמיכה ונראות לכל ילד ומשפחה.
עמותת ״זה בנפשי״
טלפון: 051-230-1343
רחוב החצב 10, תל-מונד, 4061132,
ת.ד 436
ח.פ. 580708162
More Stories
The Anxiety That Came with the War
One day, when she was 10, Shai picked up a kitchen knife and said, "What would happen if I cut myself with a knife?" — which led to an emergency room visit on the advice of a psychiatrist. After screaming and threats at home, they arrived at the ER, but Shai appeared happy, and they were discharged with a referral for parental guidance. After the hospitalization, the family held a conversation and shared their struggles with their extended family. Shai was euphoric about the hospitalization, where she received attention, but after some time she threw a knife at her mother, and the decision was made to return to hospitalization — this time in a psychiatric hospital.
When they entered the ward's lobby, her mother felt relief at the sight of the transparent, locked doors, and described it as a "children's safe." She felt that they were finally understood. Shai stayed that day and was happy to remain, because in the ward she felt she didn't have to pretend or suppress who she truly was. In the ward, there was a lack of attention given to siblings and parents. The parents got to know other parents of children there, and from meetings in the parking lot and at a nearby café, a close support group was formed. This parent group was critical for them, and the children's group is the only place where Shai can truly be herself. Her mother described feeling "starved" to meet people going through the same experience.
S., a mother of a 17-year-old girl who faces mental health challenges, shares that her daughter was always sensitive, and with the outbreak of the war, her anxiety surfaced and intensified. After three weeks, the condition became physical — tremors, difficulty breathing, and turning blue. After consulting a psychiatrist, it became clear there was also an underlying depression fueling the anxiety. The girl stopped functioning and attending school, and they turned to a pre-hospitalization center. Later, hospitalization was recommended due to "suicidal statements."
Leaving her daughter hospitalized was "a moment of collapse." When they returned that evening, the girl was calm and at peace, and the parents understood they had made the right decision, as the hospitalization gave her a sense of safety. After four months of hospitalization, a rehabilitation process began that requires "enormous patience." The mother describes her family as warm and normative, and the situation as a bolt from the blue. Due to anxiety triggered by social interactions, they were advised to "close off the house," and they experienced six months of isolation. When the daughter began to improve, their surroundings "embraced them again."
The family is still in the midst of the process, learning to "live with it" and to understand that "it's not a shame and not a failure." The mother shares that it was only on the resilience journey with Ze BeNafshi that she felt for the first time that she was "not alone." The journey was a turning point where she met other mothers, received coping tools, and found space to breathe. A year later, she joined again "as a different mother" — stronger and more whole — stopped feeling ashamed, and now strengthens others. She is grateful for the guidance of Ze BeNafshi and the parent WhatsApp groups for the support that changed her life. Her message is that other parents don't have to cope alone: the organization does sacred work and helped them understand that "this didn't happen to us because something is wrong with us."
Shai and the ״Children's Safe״
Since she was a toddler, Moriah (a pseudonym) experienced fits of rage, anxiety, and constant mood swings, and resisted everything. She was diagnosed early with ADHD, but her parents kept searching for answers because they knew there was "something more." The family went from doctor to doctor, psychologists and psychiatrists, and tried more than ten different medications. After their persistence, and outbursts that put both Moriah and those around her in danger, she was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and social communication disorder, which led to her first hospitalization.
The decision to hospitalize was a moment of shock. Her mother describes having to blindly trust other people with her daughter, while stereotypes and clichés about children's psychiatric hospitals raced through her mind. To her relief, they were welcomed with open arms. The greatest difficulty is the social one — there is constant criticism, such as "she's not well-behaved" or "you're not holding her firmly enough," and her mother constantly has to explain and justify. She describes the feeling that "once you're labeled as having a 'crazy child,' there's no going back."
Moriah is expected to remain hospitalized for several months to receive comprehensive treatment. Alongside the fears, her mother also feels hope. Her dream is to raise public awareness, prevent the stigma around psychiatric or psychological treatment, and build a social network and support system for families and children. She longs for the day when she won't have to whisper quietly that she's going to a support group or receiving help from social services — that will be the real victory.
Moriah's Fight: The Anger and the Hope
Anger, Struggle, and Hope
Anger, Struggle, and Hope
״Ze Benafshi" Organization
+972-51-230-1343
10 HaChatzav Street, Tel Mond, 4061132, P.O. Box 436, Israel
Organization Registration No.
580708162
מאבק, כעס ותקווה
S., a mother of a 17-year-old girl who faces mental health challenges, shares that her daughter was always sensitive, and with the outbreak of the war, her anxiety surfaced and intensified. After three weeks, the condition became physical — tremors, difficulty breathing, and turning blue. After consulting a psychiatrist, it became clear there was also an underlying depression fueling the anxiety. The girl stopped functioning and attending school, and they turned to a pre-hospitalization center. Later, hospitalization was recommended due to "suicidal statements."
Leaving her daughter hospitalized was "a moment of collapse." When they returned that evening, the girl was calm and at peace, and the parents understood they had made the right decision, as the hospitalization gave her a sense of safety. After four months of hospitalization, a rehabilitation process began that requires "enormous patience." The mother describes her family as warm and normative, and the situation as a bolt from the blue. Due to anxiety triggered by social interactions, they were advised to "close off the house," and they experienced six months of isolation. When the daughter began to improve, their surroundings "embraced them again."
The family is still in the midst of the process, learning to "live with it" and to understand that "it's not a shame and not a failure." The mother shares that it was only on the resilience journey with Ze BeNafshi that she felt for the first time that she was "not alone." The journey was a turning point where she met other mothers, received coping tools, and found space to breathe. A year later, she joined again "as a different mother" — stronger and more whole — stopped feeling ashamed, and now strengthens others. She is grateful for the guidance of Ze BeNafshi and the parent WhatsApp groups for the support that changed her life. Her message is that other parents don't have to cope alone: the organization does sacred work and helped them understand that "this didn't happen to us because something is wrong with us."
The Anxiety That Came with the War
More Stories
Moriah's Fight: The Anger and the Hope
Since she was a toddler, Moriah (a pseudonym) experienced fits of rage, anxiety, and constant mood swings, and resisted everything. She was diagnosed early with ADHD, but her parents kept searching for answers because they knew there was "something more." The family went from doctor to doctor, psychologists and psychiatrists, and tried more than ten different medications. After their persistence, and outbursts that put both Moriah and those around her in danger, she was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and social communication disorder, which led to her first hospitalization.
The decision to hospitalize was a moment of shock. Her mother describes having to blindly trust other people with her daughter, while stereotypes and clichés about children's psychiatric hospitals raced through her mind. To her relief, they were welcomed with open arms. The greatest difficulty is the social one — there is constant criticism, such as "she's not well-behaved" or "you're not holding her firmly enough," and her mother constantly has to explain and justify. She describes the feeling that "once you're labeled as having a 'crazy child,' there's no going back."
Moriah is expected to remain hospitalized for several months to receive comprehensive treatment. Alongside the fears, her mother also feels hope. Her dream is to raise public awareness, prevent the stigma around psychiatric or psychological treatment, and build a social network and support system for families and children. She longs for the day when she won't have to whisper quietly that she's going to a support group or receiving help from social services — that will be the real victory.
One day, when she was 10, Shai picked up a kitchen knife and said, "What would happen if I cut myself with a knife?" — which led to an emergency room visit on the advice of a psychiatrist. After screaming and threats at home, they arrived at the ER, but Shai appeared happy, and they were discharged with a referral for parental guidance. After the hospitalization, the family held a conversation and shared their struggles with their extended family. Shai was euphoric about the hospitalization, where she received attention, but after some time she threw a knife at her mother, and the decision was made to return to hospitalization — this time in a psychiatric hospital.
When they entered the ward's lobby, her mother felt relief at the sight of the transparent, locked doors, and described it as a "children's safe." She felt that they were finally understood. Shai stayed that day and was happy to remain, because in the ward she felt she didn't have to pretend or suppress who she truly was. In the ward, there was a lack of attention given to siblings and parents. The parents got to know other parents of children there, and from meetings in the parking lot and at a nearby café, a close support group was formed. This parent group was critical for them, and the children's group is the only place where Shai can truly be herself. Her mother described feeling "starved" to meet people going through the same experience.
Shai and the ״Children's Safe״
״Ze Benafshi" Organization
+972-51-230-1343
10 HaChatzav Street, Tel Mond, 4061132, P.O. Box 436, Israel
Organization Registration No.
580708162
מאבקה של מוריה: הכעס והתקווה
ש', אמא לנערה מתמודדת בת 17, מספרת שבתה תמיד הייתה רגישה, ועם תחילת המלחמה החרדות צפו והתגברו. לאחר שלושה שבועות המצב הפך לפיזי – רעידות, קושי בנשימה והכחלה. לאחר שפנו לפסיכיאטרית, התברר שיש גם רקע דיכאוני שמחזק את החרדות. הנערה הפסיקה לתפקד וללכת לבית הספר, והגיעו למרכז טרום אשפוזי, ומאוחר יותר הומלץ על אשפוז בשל "אמירות אובדניות".
להשאיר את הילדה מאושפזת היה "רגע של קריסה". כשחזרו בערב, הילדה הייתה רגועה ושלווה, וההורים הבינו שעשו את הדבר הנכון, כיוון שהאשפוז נתן לה תחושת ביטחון. לאחר ארבעה חודשי אשפוז, החל תהליך שיקום הדורש "המון סבלנות". האם מתארת את משפחתה כנורמטיבית וחמה, ואת המצב כרעם ביום בהיר. עקב חרדות שמקורן במפגשים חברתיים, יעצו להם "לסגור את הבית", והם חוו חצי שנה של בדידות. כשהבת החלה להשתפר, הסביבה "חיבקה אותם בחזרה".
המשפחה עדיין בתוך התהליך, לומדת "לחיות עם זה" ולהבין שזו "לא בושה ולא כישלון". האם מספרת שרק במסע החוסן של 'זה בנפשי' הרגישה בפעם הראשונה שהיא "לא לבד". המסע היה נקודת מפנה שבה הכירה אימהות נוספות, קיבלה כלים להתמודדות ומצאה מקום לנשום. שנה לאחר מכן הצטרפה שוב "כאמא אחרת," חזקה ושלמה יותר, הפסיקה להתבייש ומחזקת אחרות. היא מודה לליווי של 'זה בנפשי' ולקבוצות הווטסאפ של ההורים על התמיכה ששינתה את חייה. מסרה הוא שהורים אחרים לא צריכים להתמודד לבד: העמותה עושה עבודת קודש ונתנה להם להבין שזה "לא קרה לנו כי אנחנו לא בסדר".
החרדות שבאו עם המלחמה
סיפורים נוספים
מאז שהייתה פעוטה, מוריה (שם בדוי) חוותה התקפי זעם, חרדה, ומצבי רוח משתנים ללא הפסקה, והתנגדה לכל דבר. היא אובחנה מוקדם עם הפרעת קשב וריכוז, אך הוריה המשיכו לחפש מענה כיוון שהיה להם ברור שיש "עוד משהו". המשפחה עברה מרופא לרופא, פסיכולוגים ופסיכיאטרים, וניסתה למעלה מעשרה סוגי כדורים שונים. לאחר התעקשותם והתפרצויות שסיכנו אותה ואת סביבתה, אובחנו אצלה גם מאניה דפרסיה, הפרעה התנגדותית והפרעת תקשורת חברתית, מה שהוביל לאשפוז הראשון.
ההחלטה לאשפז הייתה רגע של שוק והלם. האם מספרת שהיא נאלצה לסמוך בעיניים עצומות על אנשים אחרים עם בתה, ובראשה רצו קלישאות וסטריאוטיפים על בתי חולים פסיכיאטריים לילדים. לשמחתה, קיבלו אותן בזרועות פתוחות. הקושי הגדול ביותר הוא הקושי הסביבתי; יש ביקורת רבה כמו "היא לא מחונכת" או "את לא מחזיקה אותה מספיק חזק," והאם צריכה כל הזמן להסביר ולתרץ. היא מתארת את התחושה ש"שמים חותמת שיש לך 'ילדה משוגעת', אין דרך חזרה".
מוריה צפויה להישאר באשפוז למשך מספר חודשים כדי לקבל טיפול מקיף. לצד הפחדים, האם חשה גם תקווה. חלומה הוא להעלות את המודעות החברתית, למנוע סטיגמות בנוגע לטיפול פסיכיאטרי או פסיכולוגי, וליצור רשת חברתית ותמיכה למשפחות ולילדים. היא מייחלת ליום שבו לא תצטרך ללחוש בשקט שהיא הולכת לקבוצת תמיכה או נעזרת במחלקת הרווחה – זה יהיה הניצחון האמיתי.
יום אחד, כשהייתה בת 10, שי לקחה סכין מטבח ואמרה "מה יקרה אם אחתוך את עצמי בסכין?", מה שהוביל לפנייה למיון בעצת פסיכיאטרית. לאחר צרחות ואיומים בבית, הגיעו למיון אך שי נראתה מאושרת, והם שוחררו להדרכת הורים. לאחר האשפוז, עשו שיחה משפחתית ושיתפו את משפחותיהם בקושי. שי הייתה באופוריה מהאשפוז שבו קיבלה תשומת לב, אך אחרי תקופה, היא זרקה סכין לכיוון האם, והוחלט לחזור לאשפוז, הפעם בבית חולים פסיכיאטרי.
כשנכנסו ללובי של המחלקה, האם הרגישה הקלה למראה הדלתות השקופות והנעולות, ותיארה זאת כ"כספת של ילדים". היא חשה שהם סוף סוף מובנים. שי נשארה שם באותו יום ושמחה להישאר, כיוון שבמחלקה הרגישה שהיא לא צריכה להעמיד פנים ולהדחיק את מי שהיא באמת. במחלקה, חסרה התייחסות לאחים ולהורים. ההורים הכירו את הורים לילדים אחרים, ומהמפגשים בחניה ובבית קפה נוצרה קבוצת תמיכה הדוקה. קבוצת ההורים הזו הייתה קריטית עבורם, וקבוצת הילדים היא המקום היחיד שבו שי יכולה להיות מי שהיא באמת. האם הרגישה "מורעבת" לפגוש אנשים שחווים את אותם דברים.
שי ו"כספת הילדים"
עמותת ״זה בנפשי״
טלפון: 051-230-1343
רחוב החצב 10, תל-מונד, 4061132,
ת.ד 436
ח.פ. 580708162
עמותת ״זה בנפשי״
טלפון: 051-230-1343
רחוב החצב 10, תל-מונד, 4061132,
ת.ד 436
ח.פ. 580708162