Dealing with someone with a mental disorder can be difficult. Especially if they are beloved family member and have recently been diagnosed. Neuropsychiatric hospital doctors and treatment can help, but ultimately what they need is your love and support. Whether it’s an age related illness like Alzheimers disease or dementia or something like schizophrenia or bipolar syndrome that can affect any age, there are certain things that you can do to help your loved one through the difficult symptoms of their disorder.
Educate Yourself
Find out as much as you can about your loved one’s illness. This is really the building blocks of support in any situation. According to research, if the family is provided with enough information and education they can be involved in the treatment process and this helps the patients to start shows signs of reducing symptoms and relapse. If you are unsure about how a particular illness works, neuropsychiatric hospital doctors say that this can actually make the patient worse. Psychiatric patients tend to believe that no one is in their corner and no one understands so if the people closest to them are misinformed and are having a hard time grasping the illness, this only serves to further the patient’s misconception.
Be Realistic
You expectations can really impact your family member’s recovery in a big way. Never assume anything. Just because they have been under the care of neuropsychiatric hospital doctors for a time, does not necessarily mean that they are cured. Inpatient mental health facilities don’t even have the ability to entirely cure a patient all the time. If you can set realistic and reasonable expectations, everyone will be better off. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, however. Take it day by day and see how things go. Just, try never to be disappointed in your family member and feel like they should be doing better. As the support group, possibly the only one they have, they need to know that every step forward, any step, no matter how big or small is progress and that you aren’t going to push them to go any further forward than what they are willing to go on their own.
Get Your Own Support Team
The patient isn’t the only one who needs support. Typically, the family is in need of just as much support, just a different kind. There are support groups available for family’s of those with mental illnesses where you can go and talk with other people who are going through the same thing. This can be very helpful in showing you that you are not alone. Family members often report that the meetings give them a sense of strength and a renewed motivation to press forward and continue on. Being able to be refreshed in these types of settings and take a break, socializing with like minded people can be a breath of fresh air for you.
Work With the Treatment Team
There may be some confidentiality barriers and issues that can hinder you from being able to be involved in every single step of the way, but as much as possible, do what you can to be fully involved in the treatment therapy. Neuropsychiatric hospital doctors say that “it is worth it to make a pest of yourself” whenever you feel you need to speak up or ask questions. Most experienced neuropsychiatric hospitals will allow the family members to sit in on any meetings and conference calls and as much as they can regarding the treatment. You may have to ask however, it is not assumed that you are going to want to be so involved.
Encourage Them to Talk
Many patients will turn inward and not want to talk about what is bothering them. Thus, having terrible side effects from medication will go on far to long. Encourage your loved one that it’s okay to talk about their mental health and if they are not happy with something, to share it with their doctor and see what can be done to fix the issue.
While you do not want to be taken advantage of, there are benefits to allowing your loved one to take control. They still need the independence and the best way to do this is to let them be in control.
