How to Help a Loved One in Need of Behavioral Health Care.
Mental illnesses are
disorders that affect a person’s mood, thoughts or behaviors. Serious mental
illnesses include a variety of diseases including schizophrenia, bipolar
disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, traumatic brain
injuries, and delusional. Although they can be scary, it is important to
remember that these disorders are treatable. Individuals diagnosed with these
diseases can live very full, rewarding lives, especially if they seek treatment
as needed.
Being diagnosed with a
serious mental illness can be a shock — both for the person diagnosed and for
his or her family and friends. On the other hand, finally obtaining a diagnosis
and treatment plan can sometimes help relieve stress in the family and start
moving recovery forward. Family members can be an invaluable resource for
individuals dealing with serious mental illnesses. By learning more about the
illness, you can support your loved one through diagnosis and beyond.
While symptoms of serious
mental illnesses vary, the following signs are among the more common:
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Social withdrawal.
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Difficulty functioning at school or work.
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Problems with memory and thinking.
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Feeling disconnected from reality.
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Changes in sleeping, eating and hygiene habits.
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Alcohol or drug abuse.
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Extreme mood changes.
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Thoughts of suicide.
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Encourage
your loved one to talk to a trusted health care provider. If he or she is
hesitant to see a mental health specialist such as a psychologist, suggest a
visit to a general physician. Offer to accompany them to the appointment if
they’d like.
If you
feel your loved one is in danger of harming himself or herself, or harming
someone else, that’s an emergency. Don't hesitate to call 911. If possible, ask
for an officer trained in crisis intervention — many communities have officers
on staff who are trained to diffuse a mental health crisis in the best possible
way.
It is extremely normal to
experience a flurry of emotions when a loved one is diagnosed with a serious
mental illness. Guilt, shame, disbelief, fear, anger and grief are all
common reactions. Acceptance with the
diagnosis can take time, both for the individual who is diagnosed, and for you
and other family members.
One of the most important things you can do to support a family
member with a serious mental illness is to educate yourself. The more you
learn about what to expect, the easier it will be to provide the right kind of
support and assistance. Familiarize
yourself with the symptoms of the disease so that you can recognize when your family
member might be showing signs that his or her illness is not well controlled.
Medications can be helpful
for controlling symptoms of many serious, mental illnesses. They can take
a while to become effective sometimes, and medication alone is often not enough
to keep these diseases in check. Encourage your loved one to take
advantage of other resources, such as peer support groups and individual and/or
group psychotherapy.
When your loved one is
living with a mental illness remember that they still have an identity and a
voice. Encourage them to have open and honest conversations. Ask what they are feeling, what they are
struggling with and what they would like from you. Work together to set
up realistic expectations and plan the steps for meeting those
expectations.
Recognize and praise your
loved one’s strengths and progress. Compared to offering positive
support, repeatedly prompting or nagging people with serious mental illnesses
to make behavior changes actually can result in worse outcomes.
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