Family Resource Kit
Helpful Hints for Families
Work towards accepting the illness and it's challenging consequences.
Develop realistic expectations for your family member and yourself.
Accept all the help and support you can get.
Don't be afraid to ask!
Join a support group.
Eat right, exercise, and stay healthy.
Stay optimistic and take care of yourself.
Try thinking in terms of "brain" illness, instead of mental illness.
This can be helpful in dealing with both external and internal stigma.
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.
Find a new hobby for yourself and the person who is ill. Remember to laugh, take walks and nurture yourself.
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.
If you feel that you are "going in circles", take a break. Try to be creative if the old approach is no longer working.
Continue to educate yourself about your family member's illness.
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