One of the most difficult things to deal with in regard to mental illness is the change in behavior of your family member. Your loved one may act in ways that you have never seen before and that are confusing. This is not the person you know. The loved one you know does not act this way. These changes are very discomforting. You don't know how to respond. You miss the person you knew, and could count on to act in certain ways.
Emotional reaction among family members usually follow a series of stages. The first stage usually occurs when your family has to deal with a crisis in which symptoms of mental illness are manifest. Family members can feel overwhelmed and dazed and don't know what to do or where to turn. In stage two, you are learning to cope. This stage often includes feelings of anger, guilt, and resentment. The loss of the family member that you "knew" additionally brings on a deep grief. Stage three moves from the despair to an understanding of the challenges your family member is facing and the courage required to deal with the illness.
Join us for a more in-depth discussion of these stages as well as learning more about the basic facts of various mental illnesses including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorders, eating disorders and schizophrenia.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Caregiver Class
11:30 - 12:30 at Courtyard at Jamestown (lunch and respite care provided)
2:00 - 3:00 pm at the American Fork Library (respite care funds available, if needed)
No comments:
Post a Comment