How to take care of loved ones with mental disorders

Mental disorder - a conditionWhat Is Mental Illness? health, in which there are changes in behavior, thinking and expression of emotions. By disorder can cause stress, grief or problems in your personal life, at work, in the family.

Mental illnesses are successfully treated, if the time to notice them and ask for help. Therefore it is necessary to take action if your loved one suddenly began to behave strangely. Maybe he needs help.

What symptoms should alert you

Everyone has their own mental signs of the disease. Pinpoint the disorder itself does not work, diagnosis can only be a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. But there are some common symptomsWhat is mental health?Who say that a person with mental health problems.

Here are the signs that your loved one may be sick:

• Lost interest in the work, study, hobbies.
• sleeping too much or, on the contrary, suffers from insomnia.
• Too emotional, unusual behaves: he became irritable, withdrawn, crying over nothing.
• Apathetic, it is up to what is not the case.
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• I began using alcohol or drugs, smoking, although I did not have bad habits.
• His mood is changing very rapidly. He can laugh and cry in a minute or angry.
• Eats little, she refuses to eat.
• Sensitive to smell, sound and touch, they irritate him.
• Can not concentrate, thoughts and words are confused, there is no logic in the conversation.
• He says about death and suicide, How tired of life.

If you notice one or more signs of someone from the family, try to help.

Why can not ignore symptoms

Often mental illness is not taken seriously, and their manifestations blamed on bad mood and a black band in my life. Perhaps this happens because we do not see the physical manifestations of the disease. And if a person looks healthy, then all is well with him. But mental health is no less important than the physical.

Here are some reasons why you need to take care of the psyche.

Mental disorders impair the body

They lead to serious consequencesHow Your Mental Health Affects Your Physical HealthSuch as:

• increased blood pressure;
• heart diseases;
• excessive fullness;
• asthma;
• stomach problems;
• a weak immune system;
• premature death.

Mental and physical health are closely related. They can not share. If a person looks healthy, it does not mean that he's all right.

Illness spoil relations with family, friends and colleagues

A person suffering from a mental disorder, likely to avoid contact with people and pulled away from those with whom he was before hand. The patient is sure that no one understands, so closed in itself. Ceases to have fun, connect with friends, do not go to work on various pretexts.

In addition, irritable behavior and frequent mood swings hardly anyone will like. Because of this, relationships with others are strained, often there are quarrels.

Gradually this leads to social isolation.

The disorder is life threatening

Psychic instability could bring a person to suicide. More than 90% of suicides and attempts to relate unfinishedSuicide with a mental disorder.

Suicide - this is the last stage of the disease. Everything can start with selfharma and attempts to harm himself. Word selfharm (Eng. selfharm) means "self-harm". Man cuts and burns the skin, fights off a limb bruising.

But self-harm is not a prerequisite. If a person wants to die, he can do it quietly.

Selfharm - it does not attempt toThe truth about self-harm suicide. On the contrary, it is the desire to overcome their emotional pain and survive. Man commits suicide when it seems that nothing will able to help and relieve his pain.

How to help close

1. Support

The first thing to talk with him and discuss the problem. But be careful - careful Think dialogueBefore you start. Any of your sentence a person can interpret properly.

Here's how you can encourage a person:

• Tell me that you love him and want to help.
• Take care of him, Prepare breakfast, brings to the movies, buy a small gift. Such details are very important.
• If a close suspects that he was sick, and feels because of this inferior, say that the disease does not make him a bad person.
• Offer your support and ask what he needs. human needs with a mental disorder may differ from yours. It is better to clarify, not to make things worse.
• Listen carefully to him. Share their feelings more important than getting advice and guidance.
• Treat with understanding the patient's condition. He may behave strangely, take it out on you and be rude. Do not get mad at him. Remember that these actions are dictated by the disease.

2. Consult a doctor

You can not force someone to be treated, but can push to the decision. Have to visit a doctor or go to the hospital together.

If your loved one refuses and says he is not sick, try to convince him that the examination it does not hurt, but it will calm you. Patients who are able to make decisions on their own and are not dangerous to society, not hospitalizedRF Law of 02.07.1992 № 3185-1 (ed. from 19.07.2018) "On psychiatric care and guarantees of the rights of citizens at its rendering» forcibly.

If you do not know where to begin screening and treatment, consult a physician. He will write a referral to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, Tell you how to behave at the reception.

Important: attempted suicide or harm to others in need of urgent hospitalization. Bring immediately the person to hospital or call an ambulance.

3. examine the disease

It's hard to help someone when you do not know what faced. To better understand the feelings of a loved one, find information about his illness, read the study, please visit support groups on social networks and forums.

For example:

• Psysovet - here you can get free psychological support, read other people's stories and answers of experts.
• psychological forum PsycheForum - there is a lot about the various life problems and mental illness. You can communicate with participants, create your own theme, get help online psychologists.
• Depreccii.net - portal with articles and advice, as well as success stories of treating depression.
• «Bipolyarniki Association" - everything about bipolar disorder: Articles, personal experiences, literature, movies.

4. Help myself

Sometimes those who are close to the patient, also needs psychological help, because the life of a mentally ill person - it's stress. Specialist help to cope with fears and negative emotions.

Don'ts

Understand the mentally ill person is difficult. Therefore, even with good intentions need to be careful. It can hurt any little thing, which in the normal state, he would have paid attention.

Here is a list of what not to do:

• Imposed. Offer your help, but do not push. If you see that a person is annoying, do not insist.
• To criticize and condemn. Even if the actions and decisions do not close like you respect his choice. If his actions affect the rest of the family, a decision should be taken together - let everyone favors.
• Devalue feelings and emotions. We can not say that his illness is not serious, or that he's inventing.
• To pretend not to notice anything. If you deny a problem, it will not disappear.
• Kibitz. It is better to listen to the person and ask how you can help him. Advice can be given only when you asked him.

In conversation, avoidHow to Help a Loved One With Depression following phrases:

• "Everybody is sad, nothing wrong with that."
• "It's only in your head. Just stop to think about the bad. "
• "Do not focus on the negative."
• "Be Positive".
• "Why do not you get better?"
• "Are you always something wrong."
• "You just need to find a job (the second half, hobbies)."

Your attention and support is really important to those who are sick. Try to be patient and understanding.