Description
Mental illness doesn’t just affect people with it. It can also upset those around them.
If you live with a mental illness, you may experience different emotions, for example, anxiety, anger, shame, sadness. You may also feel helpless in the face of the situation. Each person reacts differently. For example :
- Some parents may feel guilty about their child’s illness;
- Family members may wonder if the disease is hereditary;
- Family members may worry and wonder about the new responsibilities they will have to assume.
These reactions are quite normal. However, if you are in distress, do not wait until you are in a crisis to act. Find out now what you can do and what resources are available if you need them.
Tips for helping someone with a mental illness
If you want to help someone with a mental illness, you can take the following tips:
- Inform yourself
- Develop supportive attitudes towards the person with the disease
- Say what you think positively
- Encourage the person to seek help if needed
Inform yourself
To feel more confident and better understand the illness the person is suffering from, you can, for example:
- Read books, documents, or articles on the subject;
- Listen to programs on the subject;
- Attend conferences or training activities;
- Participate in meetings with support groups for family members of people with mental illnesses.
Develop supportive attitudes towards the person with the disease
Several attitudes can help you establish or maintain a good relationship with the affected person, for example:
Show her that you can put yourself in her shoes and understand what she is going through. Avoid lecturing him or dictating what you would do for him.
Praise her for all the positive changes she makes in her life, such as changes in attitude or behavior.
Be patient. Remember that sometimes the road to recovery can be long and difficult.
Say what you think positively
When you want to talk to someone with a mental illness, use your feelings to talk to them about your views or reactions. Talk to him using the “I” rather than the “you”. This is the secret of good communication. Thus, the person will be less likely to react by denying or defending himself. For example, you can tell him, “I worry that you are always staying in your room and you hardly eat anymore, I’m sad about what’s happening to you,” rather than “You hardly eat anymore, you don’t eat much anymore. always stay in your room, what do you think will happen to you? “.
Encourage the person to seek help if needed
Sometimes the person with mental illness can experience periods of instability on the road to recovery. If necessary, encourage her to consult support groups or organizations, and associations related to the field of mental health. She can get information, help, and support there.
If the person refuses, be patient and listen to understand the reasons for the refusal. Continue to encourage him. Offer to accompany her. It might help her make up her mind.
However, you and others around you may notice that the person has reactions and behaviors that you think are abnormal. This could be a sign that the person needs to see a doctor.
Here are some examples of changes you might notice in the person:
- She isolates herself more and more in her room or elsewhere;
- She has trouble sleeping or having trouble eating
- She uses alcohol or drugs;
- She has difficulty speaking or has difficulty concentrating;
- She seems absent to you (her gaze is blank);
- She says that sa group of people is persecuting her
- She thinks you can read her mind or hears voices you can’t hear.
Tips to help you live with someone with a mental illness
Living with someone with a mental illness is not always easy. Here are some tips to help you cope better with this situation:
- Express your emotions
- Take care of yourself
- Solve one problem at a time
- Respect your limits and seek help when needed
- Express your emotions
People around someone with the disease experience emotions such as anger, shame, and guilt. These are normal reactions, which deserve to be expressed. Avoid building up resentment. Try to find people who can listen with whom you can share your feelings without constraint or guilt. It could be good friends, for example, or an organization supporting the relatives of people with mental illness.
Take care of yourself
Your physical and mental health is important. Being in good health will help you stay balanced and live better with the person with mental illness. Follow the tips for maintaining good mental health.
Solve one problem at a time
Living with a person with a mental illness can pose some problems and provoke some interpersonal conflicts. If you are in this situation, avoid trying to deal with all the problems you are having at the same time. Rather, tackle the problems one at a time and try to find an easy solution for each. The more solutions you find, the more in control you will feel. There are always solutions. Trust yourself.
Respect your limits and seek help when needed
We all have our limitations. If you do not respect your own, you risk harming your health, which would not help the person with the disease. Realize your limits.
If necessary, seek information and support from helpful resources. You can also meet other people in the same situation as you or who have already been. Talking with these people could help you better understand your feelings and learn about other people’s solutions.
If you know people who have any mental illness, they can consult Kentucky mental health care, they have the best therapists in Kentucky.
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