How does Mental Illness affect Family and Relationships?
Looking after a person with mental illness in your family can be very challenging. Thus we have to understand how the disease affects the family and relationships. The devoted time, energy and patience are the main caring role of the families. In some cases suffering and grief takes place if there is a loss of personality, lifestyle changes comparing it with the past. They may cause undesired anger and unconscious hostile behaviors. Looking from the children’s perspective they probably do not understand what their parents or relatives are going through. Although they may feel the stress that the family is experiencing they usually have no clue about the real situation. Every child exhibits a different reaction. Some may withdraw, others may show the signs that they have grown up so fast or they may pretend that nothing has changed. In some cases they prefer to spend more time with their families. From the relationships angle husband, wife and partner are significantly being affected by this disease. It is a real challenge if the carer’s partner is the person who is suffering from mental illness. The carer usually experiences a shift on his/her expectations from the relationship. They feel lonely and isolated because of the lack of the interest and attention of partner suffering from mental illness. The increased responsibilities also bring a big burden to the carer together with experiencing loneliness.
People with mental illness often find relationships difficult to maintain as their ability to interact at a personal and intimate level is compromised by their disorder. In serious cases, unusual or “bizarre” behavior such as auditory hallucinations, or hearing voices may frighten or drive away friends, coworkers, and family members. Often, only the closest family members have the patience to stay with the patient during such episodes. In addition, with some mental disorders, patients may feel driven to withdraw socially and focus on their symptoms, thereby pushing away family and friends and increasing their isolation.
What is the Self-Perception among people with mental illness?
Individuals with mental illness may have a wide range of distressing feelings about themselves, from self-loathing to feeling as though they are the only ones who see the “true” world as it really exists. Some may feel they have special gifts or powers, and others may be convinced that certain individuals or groups are out “to get them.” If the symptoms are pleasant or comforting, some individuals may take solace in their delusions and hallucinations and resist treatments that would take away this source of comfort.
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