The stress of an open CPS or family law case is unlike ordinary stress. It is:
- Chronic
- Unpredictable
- Indefinite
There is no clear endpoint, no reliable metric for success, and no guarantee that compliance will matter.
Parents live in a state of constant alert:
- Afraid of being misunderstood
- Afraid of emotional reactions being documented
- Afraid that progress will be ignored
Over time, this produces anxiety and depression. Not because a parent is unstable — but because any human under prolonged uncertainty would be.
Instead of acknowledging this reality, the system often reframes stress responses as evidence of concern.
The pressure creates the symptom.
Then the symptom is used to justify the pressure.
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