Resources

Expectations

• Develop realistic expectations for your family member and yourself.
• Work towards accepting the illness and its challenging consequences.

Let go of the guilt.

• Remember that no family is perfect.
• Whatever you did, or did not do; you did not cause your family member's illness.

Get the facts.

• Continue to educate yourself about your family member's illness.

Don't forget about your own health.

• Eat right, exercise, and stay healthy.
• Find a new hobby for yourself and the person who is ill. Remember to laugh, take walks and nurture yourself.

Create a support network.

• Join a support group.
• Accept all the help and support you can get. Don't be afraid to ask!
• Every problem is a solution waiting to happen. Ask a F.A.M.E. worker or a trusted friend for help if you have run out of new ideas.

Fresh thinking.

• Try thinking in terms of "brain" illness, instead of mental illness.
• This can be helpful in dealing with both external and internal stigma.
• If you feel that you are "going in circles", take a break. Try to be creative if the old approach is no longer working.
• Stay optimistic and take care of yourself.