Coping With Family Members Who Have Psychological Disorders

Posted by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen Oct 24, 2009

On my Psychological Disorders article, a reader described her various family members' struggle with mental illness. She's not alone -- many of us are coping with family members who have psychological disorders, ranging from depression to phobias.

Here are several links to articles for people who are coping with family members who have psychological disorders. If you can't find what you're looking for here, please comment or ask a question below; I'll try to help you find what you're looking for!

First, though, here are a few suggestions for dealing with psychological disorders in family members:

• Remember that you can't solve the problem. We often want to "fix" our family members or solve all their problems...but we can't. We can only provide helpful resources, and be loving and supportive (tough love may be necessary!).
• Accept your family member for who he or she is. If your loved one has schizophrenia or bulimia, you may fall into the "I wish things were different" trap. Instead of thinking about how the person was when healthy, focus on accepting him or her for who she is right now.
• Learn all you can about the disorder. Some mental health issues are easier to accept when you know why they occurred (sometimes because of genetic or chemical unbalances), how many people have them, and what the treatments are.
• Join a support group. If your family member is struggling with schizophrenia, then join a local schizophrenia support group if you can. You'll find the support and information you need to help you deal with your reactions and your loved one's disorder.

Articles About Partners With Psychological Disorders

How to Help When Your Partner is Depressed describes signs of depression, plus how a spouse or partner can help.

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Traits describes the symptoms and treatments of obsessive compulsive disorder -- and offers info about anxiety disorders.

Articles About Family Members With Psychological Disorders

8 Ways to Decrease Caregiver Stress offers help for people who are taking care of physically or mentally ill loved ones.

Help for Depressed Teens is geared towards the teenager struggling with depression, but provides help for people who know a depressed teen.

3 Tips for Adult Children of Difficult Parents discusses how to deal with toxic or difficult parents -- not necessarily ones with psychological disorders.

Treating Phobias in Children describes a new combination of treatments for anxiety and phobias in chidren.

6 Ways to Help an Alcoholic Sibling is based on a book written by a woman who had personal experience with alcoholism and siblings.

Helping Someone Who Has a Psychological Disorder offers several suggestions for coping with a mental illness in someone you love.

If you have any questions or comments, please share below...