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Families receive too little information, advice, or help in coping with
a family member's mental illness. It is my intention to help families
and friends understand effective ways to supervise medication, respond
to
inappropriate behavior, maintain calm in the home, and promote at least partial recovery. When family members realize how serious the illness is, they often feel ashamed and isolated, wondering what went wrong. They are exposed to conflicting theories and given contradictory advice about the disorder, while frequently finding themselves doing full-time duty as nurses and social workers. It is an ordeal in which loyalty, love, and patience are tested against embarrassment, frustration, anger, and despair. Families can become physically, emotionally, and financially exhausted. Mental health professionals frequently contributed to the family's burden instead of lightening it. When a family finds it difficult to adjust it is entirely understandable. Some families expect more, or preserve the hope of recovery longer. Some are especially disappointed because the patient seemed normal or even superior until the first episode. |
expressed pleasantly, clearly, and concisely. |
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| *Family counseling,
sets limited, specific goals. This therapy instructs family members
about the illness, teaches them to communicate better, and trains them
in identifying and solving specific problems that arise within the family.
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*Behavioral
family management puts more
emphasis on learning by doing. In one version, therapy is conducted at home once a week for several months. The therapist provides models of appropriate behavior for the family, and they rehearse as the therapist coaches and prompts them. In problem solving sessions, the family chooses a problem, collaborates with the therapist in defining a goal, lists ways to reach it, then puts one solution into effect and reviews the results. In communication training, family members are shown how to avoid angry and critical responses to the patient. *Multiple family group meetings allows families to speak candidly to one another and become more confident as they both give and receive advice. Two to three therapists meet with four to eight families for several hours; the patient may or may not be present. Such groups help to eliminate the isolation and guilt that many families feel.. Frequently, the members become friends who help one another in times of crisis. |
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