A psychotherapist has explained the TikTok trend 'glass child syndrome' - and how to stop it impacting you as an adult.<br /><br />Debbie Missud, 26, says you are a 'glass child' when you are the healthy or well sibling of chronically ill children, so often feel invisible to your parents.<br /><br />She said she was a 'glass child' because her sibling suffered with mental health issues such as bipolar and OCD.<br /><br />She explained he took up a disproportionate amount of her parents' time which led her to be hyper-independent. <br /><br />Debbie debunked the myth that children of chronically ill parents can be glass children and also said that it isn't a mental health condition in itself. <br /><br />As the well sibling, she developed into a chronic people pleaser and felt an overwhelming pressure to be problem-free and perfect. <br /><br />Debbie started suffering from anxiety aged 22 and went to therapy where she unpacked her glass child syndrome. <br /><br />She advises well children to seek therapy and to talk to their parents - if they can - about their issues and to set clear boundaries. <br /><br />The psychotherapist from New York City said: "A glass child is someone who grew up with a chronically ill sibling; this can be mental or physical or any child who takes up a disproportionate amount of parental needs. <br /><br />"Not every child with a chronically ill sibling is a glass child.<br /><br />"Well siblings feel invisible to others have a hard time expressing their emotions and feel the overwhelming pressure to be problem free or perfect.<br /><br />"They are often hyper-independent and learn to take care of themselves from an early age.<br /><br />"They can feel like an inconvenience when they talk about their needs and guilty about their accomplishments as there siblings wouldn't be able to accomplish the same things."<br /><br />According to Debbie, 'glass child syndrome' starts early in childhood but the well child isn't usually aware of the impacts. <br /><br />The psychotherapist only became aware of phenomenon when she sought therapy to treat her anxiety and relationship dissatisfaction at the age of 22. <br /><br />She said: "I am one of those people who didn't realise until I was an adult.<br /><br />"My brother experienced a tonne of mental health issues and I had anxiety in college so I started to see a therapist.<br /><br />"I had consuming ruminations - my mind was busy all the time. <br /><br />"I had so much tension I developed tension migraines.<br /><br />Debbie says she struggled being a chronic people pleaser and had trouble setting boundaries. <br /><br />She said: "I had very porous boundaries and I struggled with perfectionism. <br /><br />"I realised it's okay to not make everybody happy with me all of the time."<br /><br />According to Debbie, she was fortunate enough to have parents she could speak to about her problems. <br /><br />She said: "In my case, my parents told me too much about my brother's problems and I became my mum's support system. <br /><br />"Once I set that boundary it's been positive."<br /><br />According to Debbie there are misconceptions that 'glass child syndrome' is a mental health condition.
