Coping with Mental Illness in the Family

2. Dr. Catherine Syengo Mutisya Consultant Psychiatrist Nairobi Mental Health Services & Nairobi Parenting Clinic K.M.A. Center, 3 rd Floor, Mara road UPPER HILL

3. Most people believe that mental disorders are rare and happen to someone else." Most families are not prepared to cope with learning their loved one has a mental illness. It can be physically and emotionally trying, and can make us feel vulnerable to the opinions and judgments of others.

4. Having a family member with a mental illness can be very stressful. Whether the ill person is a son, daughter, husband, wife, brother or sister, you will be affected by their illness too. A person with a psychiatric disorder often needs a lot love, help and support. At the same time, the problems, fears and behavior of your ill relative may strain your patience and your ability to cope.

5. How are families affected? Many forms of mental illness first appear when the person is in their late teens or early twenties. Whether its depression, an anxiety disorder, or a less common condition such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, the first episode is likely to occur when the person is still living with their family.

6. Even if they have moved out of home or are older, the mental illness may not only be distressing for them, it may affect others too. Mental illness often has a ripple effect on families, creating tension, uncertainty, troubled emotions and big changes in how people live their lives. Different family members are likely to be affected in different ways. These effects on the family are sometimes not acknowledged by health professionals.

7. Families may also take on the role of day-to-day care. This often happens with little training or support, or acknowledgment of their own needs and mental health. When families are accepted as partners in care and do receive training and support, there is strong evidence that this leads to better outcomes for everyone involved.

8. Sometimes families are not listened to by health professionals. Patient confidentiality may be given inappropriately as a reason for this. Yet families are often the main support for people affected by mental illness, and have a right to be treated as partners in care. They need information about the illness and treatment provided, and about training and support to help themselves as well as the person who is ill.

10. When mental illness first strikes, family members may deny the person has a continuing illness. During the acute episode family members will be alarmed by what is happening to their loved one. When the episode is over and the family member returns home, everyone will feel a tremendous sense of relief Many times, particularly when the illness is a new phenomenon in the family, everyone may believe that since the person is now doing very well that symptomatic behavior will never return.

11. They may also look for other answers, hoping that the symptoms were caused by some other physical problem or external stressors that can be removed. For example, some families move thinking that a "fresh start" in a new environment will alleviate the problem. Sometimes, even after some family members do understand the reality of the illness, others do not. Those who do accept the truth find that they must protect the ill person from those who do not and who blame and denigrate the ill person for unacceptable behavior and lack of achievement.

12. This leads to tension within the family, and isolation and loss of meaningful relationships with those who are not supportive of the ill person Families may also have little knowledge about mental illness Without information to help families learn to cope with mental illness, families can become very pessimistic about the future. The illness seems to control their destiny rather than the family, (including the ill member), gaining control by learning how to manage the illness and to plan for the future

13. Families are often reluctant to discuss their ill family members with others because they do not know how people will react. After all, myths and misconception surround mental illness. Family members may become reluctant to invite anyone to the home because the ill person can be unpredictable or is unable to handle the disruption and heightened stimulation of a number of people in the house. Family members may be anxious about leaving the ill person at home alone. They are concerned about what can happen.

15. It is difficult for anyone to deal with strange thinking and bizarre and unpredictable behavior. It is bewildering, frightening and exhausting. Even when the person is stabilized on medication, the apathy and lack of motivation can be frustrating Family members may have trouble understanding any difficulties the person is having, or they may tell themselves that the person will "snap out of it" if given time, support and encouragement.

16. Families may become angry and frustrated as they struggle to get back to a routine that previously they have taken for granted Family life can be unsettled and unpredictable. It becomes very difficult, often impossible, to plan for family outings or vacations or to have even the simplest gathering at home. The needs of the ill member become paramount. At the same time there remains the needs of other family members and the usual problems of everyday life.

17. Often families become worn out and discouraged dealing with a loved one who has a mental illness. Having gone down many dead-end streets in an attempt to find assistance, they may be hesitant to try another approach for fear of another failure. They may feel unable to cope with living with an ill person who must be constantly cared for. They feel trapped and exhausted by the stress of the daily struggle, especially if there is only one family member

18. One of the greatest difficulties for families in accepting any life altering illness of a loved one is dealing with a changed future and expectations. Families struggle with accepting the realities of an illness that is treatable, but not curable. Families may ask why mental illness has struck this family. They need to know that, just as with any serious illness, there may be no good answer. It is no one's fault, it is simply an illness that has struck just as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease can strike

19. How to deal with Mental illness in the Family Educate yourself about the illness. Seek out resources. Have realistic expectations. Reach out for support. Work closely with your loved ones treatment team. Let your loved one have control. Encourage them to talk to their mental health professional.

20. Set appropriate limits. Establish equality. Realize that feelings of shame and guilt are normal. Recognize your loved ones courage. Help yourself. Be calm. Convey hope. Be an activist for the mentally ill

21. Understand that feelings of spiritual distress are a normal reaction to having a family member or friend struck by a life altering illness. Realize that other people of faith have feelings of abandonment, frustration, anger, anxiety, helplessness, isolation and hopelessness. Develop your spiritual identity and resources. Seek help from your pastor, a pastoral counselor, or a therapist who affirms the importance of spiritual resources

22. Recognize that you are a loving family member and/or friend and not a magician. None of us can change anyone else, we can only be supportive of ourselves and our loved one as each of us attempts to find ways to manage mental illness. Focus on the good things that happened during each day. Realize that we all have physical and emotional limits. Do not blame yourself or others if that limit is reached.

23. Learn to give support, praise and encouragement and learn to accept it in return. Use a support network regularly for empathy, reassurance, affirmation and refocusing. Attend a support group

24. Find a pleasurable place to go each day. Find a place where you can be alone. Use it whenever you need it. Be gentle with yourself. Spend some time away from the person with mental illness. Avoid activities that increase your levels of tension. Inject some humor in your life

25. Learn to set limits and to make choices. Learn to say "no" and mean it. If you can't say "no," what is your "yes" worth? Use the expression "I choose to" rather than "I have to," or "I should." Learn to say "I won't" rather than "can't." Take care of your own nutritional and sleep needs. Establish short term and long term goals for yourself. You may find it helpful to keep a journal

26. Realize that you should continue your leisure activities, your church activities, your relationships with others, your hobbies, etc. Remember to find times every day, however brief, to enjoy life. Get plenty of physical exercise.

27. Learn about resources. Learn what to do if a crisis occurs

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