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The 14 Principles of Coping with Mental Illness
By Ken Alexander NSW Carers
GET TO KNOW the origins of the pressures, the ever-increasing pressures, to which we, the relatives, are subject.
PAY GREAT ATTENTION to the needs of the other members of the family.
TAKE HEED that unlimited unconditional self-sacrifice on behalf of someone with mental illness is fatal to effective caring and coping.
BE AWARE that spending massive amounts of time with the person who has a mental illness can make matters worse.
MAINTAIN AND ESTABLISH friendships, activities and hobbies, particularly those that take you outside the home.
SET YOUR SIGHTS on appropriate independence for your relative AND for yourself.
DON'T BE SURPRISED to discover that in the end, it is the ability to change, to look at things differently, that distinguishes relatives who will cope, from those who will not.
TAKE very great CARE of yourself.
REALISE that mental illness is not rare. It may seem to be, but that's because it's 'not talked about'. Mental illness directly affects 1 in 5 Australians at some stage in their lives.
LEARN as much as possible, as soon as possible, about mental illness: its cause, its course, its outcome.
BEWARE the fires of self-blame! They can destroy your chance of coping, FOREVER. They can destroy you. Kill them with the modern knowledge that mental illness is NOT caused by relatives.
SEEK professional helpers who are EFFECTIVE. Identify them by their compassionate natures, informative style, eagerness to have you as their ALLY, and ability to ensure you receive comprehensive education in understanding and coping with mental illness.
CONTACT an effective self-help group for families with mental illness.
ACCEPT that with an illness as complex as mental illness, the promptings of our natural instincts are often an unreliable guide to coping and caring. We, the relatives DO need training.
Carers NSW,
Carers NSW Mental Health Project, funded by NSW Department of Health |
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© Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Association 2010  |