It’s hard to know what to do when a friend or family member has a mental illness.
All of us know that the support of family and friends is an essential element in the recovery process.
But how to give that support is outside the experience of most people. We want to do something, but we feel our hands are tied.
Actually, there’s a lot you can do. This post is rather long, but it offers a wealth of information to help your friend, your family member — and you under these headings:
- How it feels when you first learn of your friend’s or family member’s mental illness
- Do not abandon your friend or family member in their time of crisis
- How to talk to your friend or family member about mental illness
- Support strategies you can use
- What to say if your friend or family member is unreasonable or delusional
- When your friend or family member is not manageable or is out of control
- For more information
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Tagged as:
Caregivers,
Family Member,
Friend,
Mental Illness
Something is wrong, but you don’t know what it is.
It may take months or years for you and your family members to finally realize that you have an Anxiety Disorder.
But those months and years have put a strain on relationships, household routines, and maybe even finances. Even with a diagnosis, some strain often lingers, and recovery can be a long process.
Partners and family members may want to help may not know how. They may do all the wrong things at the wrong time. As one commenter on this blog said, “I try and tell them to just leave me — I leave the room when [Anxiety and Panic] kick in — but people will not.”
This post will help you understand the strains on a family when one of its members has an Anxiety Disorder. It will also give you positive suggestions to help you help your family member.
[Read the entire article...]
Tagged as:
Anxiety Disorder,
Caregivers,
Panic Attacks
All couples have their share of challenges.
But when one half of a couple has an Anxiety Disorder, partners face a whole new set of challenges. And the issues associated with Anxiety Disorders may exacerbate many of the normal issues that couples face.
One partner may not know how to help his or her significant other and becomes frustrated, angry, resentful or feel guilty, sad or hopeless about the situation. Over time, this will severely hamper your ability to care for your partner with a Anxiety Disorder.
It is important that you understand that you need to take care of yourself. Immersing yourself in your partner’s Anxiety Disorder can be debilitating, and you are not being selfish to want to have a break.
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Tagged as:
Anxiety Disorder,
Caregivers
