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Education Mental Health Information Family Information Family Self-Care and Recovery from Mental Illness

Family Self-Care and Recovery from Mental Illness

Tuesday, 08 February 2011 16:00 Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 March 2011 00:47 Written by Administrator
This resource is intended for families of people dealing with a mental illness. The focus is on helping families to be informed caregivers, particularly around the necessity to care for themselves and other family members, whose needs are as important as those of the ill relative.

Education about mental illness will help families to better understand what their ill relative needs and what they can do to both support the relative and maintain their own health. We believe it is essential that you remain well if you are to be able to support your relative effectively.

There are a vast number of resources available that will enable family members to learn more about mental illness and how it is managed both medically and through rehabilitation. There is great value in these resources and we recommend you learn as much as you can about mental illness and how it is managed, bearing in mind it is often best to pace yourself when taking in new information.

A list of helpful resources and organizations offering support education is included in the Appendix D. There are many resources available that will help to provide a solid foundation for how to recognize signs of mental illness, where to get help, and how it is managed through our health care system.

This resource is intended to supplement available information and turn the focus to two main areas where information is lacking:

Self-care; and transitioning from care giving to supporting a relative towards recovery.

Self-care is vital as family caregivers are at risk of becoming overwhelmed, both physically and mentally, from the challenges of dealing with an ill relative. Focusing on recovery and gradually moving toward a more supportive role in which you maintain your own interests and lead your own life can prevent you from becoming engulfed in your relative's illness or from being perceived as intrusive in their life. Focusing on recovery will enable you to deal more effectively with the challenges of mental illness in the long run.

To download your copy of the manual, click HERE.