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Taylor Allen
English 1201-217
Dr. Cassel
21 November 2017

Caretaker harm:

How a family member's mental illness affects the rest of the family

I have many family members that have some type of form of a mental disorder. My mom

has severe anxiety and drinks, though shes trying to quite that now. My step dad has depression,

my sister has an eating disorder and bad anxiety, two of my uncles had obsessive compulsive

disorder and one of them also had an eating disorder and my grandma had bipolar and was

addicted to pain medication. I have even found out that my great grandpa had severe obsessive

compulsive disorder and was a alcoholic and that my biological father, who Im not close to for

this reason has a drug addiction. I have been around these family members when their symptoms

have been at there worse throughout my life. Im pretty use to it, but at times it can take a toll. I

myself have anger issues, but Ive never been diagnosed by a professional so I dont think of

myself as having something like my family. My sister, dad and when she was alive my grandma

all go to see a therapists/psychologists for their problems. I did myself for a short while, but I

didnt feel it was working for me and stopped going. Seeing my family members go through bad

symptoms can be hard to watch and scary at times. Then hearing stories of past family members

and their struggles is really sad. I also have many friends who have to live with a family member

with a mental disorder or who have one themselves. It is a big part of my life. It can be a struggle

at times to be around it contently. When a family member has an illness you try to help as much
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as you can, but it is really hard. Watching them go through something that you dont know what

its like to go through and only being able to offer support because theres not much else you can

do. It is really stressful to be around that everyday. I feel bad saying that because I know it is

hard for them.

Every year about (18.2%) of the adult population suffer from some type of mental illness.

One and five teenagers ( 21.4%) will suffer from a form of mental illness at some point.

(13%) Of children will be reported at having a mental illness as well. These people are parents,

spouses, siblings, sons, and daughters. Many people in America suffer from a mental illness,

which means many families have a family member suffering. Severe mental illnesses as well as

minor ones can cause a disrupt of the family dynamic and routine, which can be hard to accept

and get use to for some families (American Psychological Association). Many studies have

shown that family caregivers of people with a mental illness suffer from stresses, feel high levels

of burden, and often get unhelpful assistance from professionals ( Saunders). The impact of

caring for a family member with a mental illness can affect the psychological health negatively

by providing care. Higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health effects are

common among family members who care for a mentally ill family member (Fordyce).

How exactly are other family members affected? In many different ways. The age level

and the particular family member with the mental illness can affect each family member

in certain ways. Also what can be done to alleviate these issues? Well a number of things. With

the help of family-based programs, larger mental facilities, removing the stigma on mental

health disorders and new health and safety measures for caregivers all can help families learn to

cope and handle their loved one's illness. With these things taken care of, families have a better
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and safer chance at providing care to their love ones and patients can receive care and have

confidence that their mental illness is being treated properly.

When a family member is diagnosed or born with a mental illness it is normal for the rest

of the family to feel a wide range of emotions (American Psychological Association). Each

family member will experience different emotions in their own way. Different ages can be

expected to feel certain ways based on who in the family has the illness.

For parents it can be expectually hard. A feeling of shame and guilt can arise when their child is

diagnosed for they may feel it's their fault. Parents may also have to change their expectations

for their child's future. They may grieve for the loss of the future they imaged their child having

(American Psychological Association). Sometimes parents have to deal with services or a system

that does not acknowledge the fact that the parents are partners in the recovery process of their

child. The parent may also feel stress and anxiety and even worry about how their healthy

children are coping. Caring for a child that is mentally ill demands a lot of attention which can

take time away from the other children ( Our Healthy Minds).

For siblings feelings of anxiety and frustration of extra responsibility they may be expected to

take on can cause problems. Sometimes a sibling can feel ashamed and embarrassed or even

angry at the circumstances. Siblings can feel left out by their parents not giving them enough

attention. That's why it's important parents give each child attention even when it's hard to do so.

Clear, honest communication is important for all family members (American Psychological

Association). The onset of a siblings mental illness can cause other siblings confusion, stress,

anger, sadness or fear for their brothers or sisters wellbeing. Siblings may experience stigma,

personal shame or survivors guilt. Mental illness can lead to a variety of emotional effects for
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brothers and sisters of the sibling living with mental illness. They can feel confusion about their

siblings changed behavior, embarrassment about being with their brother or sister, jealousy of

their parents attention, resentment about not being like, other families and fear of developing

mental illness ( Our Healthy Minds).

For young children the experience of seeing the changes of their family member can cause fear

and confusion. It's important parents talk to young children about what is going on and knowing

can help relieve their fears. Children often feel isolated and alone. When they know they have

the support of a caring person who will listen to their feelings they are better able to deal

with their issues. Making time for for young children, having a adult talk about their

own feelings and encouraging the child to share theirs are all ways to help alleviate their fears

( Our Healthy Minds).

Spouses may feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities that they are now in charge of. For a

person who is already worried about what is happening with their partner, having to spend more

time keeping up with the household or taking care of the children can be hard. It is important to

keep a positive attitude, while holding realistic expectations for the partner with the mental

illness (American Psychological Association). A mental illness can put a strain on the

relationship. The spouse of an ill person may feel guilt, shame and may blame themselves. The

couples social life and physical intimacy may change. Both partners may feel grief for the loss

of the life they had imagined together ( Our Healthy Minds).

Many emotions from the family is normal, but sometimes caring for a mentally ill family

member can cause more than just emotional problems. Caregivers can experience many impacts

from caring for an ill family member. Caregivers have experienced greater psychological
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distress, poorer mental health and greater objective burden (Katz). A large amount of evidence

reveals that providing care for a ill person can have harmful physical, mental, and emotional

consequences for the caregiver. As families struggle to care for others, their own health is put in

danger. As a result, caregiver health is quickly becoming a public health issue that requires more

focused attention from health professionals, policy makers and caregivers themselves to ensure

the health and safety of those individuals dedicating their lives to the care of others ( Fordyce).

It's important the caretaker take care of their own needs. To eat healthy meals, get exercise and

get enough sleep. This will help keep stress levels down and make sure the family member who

needs care gets it. It's important to reach out to other friends and family members to help ease the

responsibilities or just have someone to talk to. When the caregivers experience physical,

mental, and emotional consequences it should serve as a red flag showing the need for further

evaluation of the family experience and additional support for the family ( Katz).

When it comes to the person with the mental illness many feel ostracized. The level of isolation

and family estrangement that is promoted by the current system can be prevented (

Stastny). Tons of money is put in to help mental health yet the problem is that spending rarely

goes to helping the most seriously ill, while cutbacks always affect them. Helping families in

mental health would send the seriously ill to the front of the line for services rather than jails,

prisons, shelters and morgues. Limited facilities and restrictive laws, which takes away patient

rights over clinical care can happen to many. This means tons of children are lost, both on the

streets and through suicide. The public feel that patients lose their rights when they are

compelled to engage in psychiatric treatment, which they clinically need. The opposite is true.

With psychiatric treatment, patients actually exercise their right to health ( Stastny). With the
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right treatment patients can have the assurance that their mental illness is under control and being

treated correctly.

When a family needs to care for a mentally ill member it can cause stress for the whole

family and have everyone feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities. It Can feel like it is too

much but, talking to someone is a great way to cope when a family member has a mental illness.

Planning family therapy would be beneficial towards patients with major mental illness and their

families ( Kurian). Joining a family support group to meet others experiencing similar challenges

can be helpful. A community mental health agency can offer family support. Taking part in

family programs, were education and treatment sessions with loved one can be beneficial.

Family-led programs led by trained instructors who themselves have a relative with mental

illness, can help families learn how to cope. Research has shown that family-based programs can

also improve well-being for many people with serious mental illnesses (American Psychological

Association). Only when a caretaker is taking care of themselves first can they help others to the

best of their abilities.

How does a family member's mental illness affect the rest of the family? In many

different ways. Depending on the family member with the mental illness and the ages of each of

the other family members can affect how each person feels about the situation. It is truly

important that the people caring for the patient are taking care of themselves. Without the

caretaker putting themselves first, the patient will not get the responsible care they need in the

right way. Families can help reduce their stress with the help of family-based programs. The

mentally ill patient as well as the family members should not have to feel like outsiders from the

public. By providing information about mental illness to the public, the stigma on mental health

disorders can be removed. All can help families learn to understand and handle their loved one's
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illness. Growing up with a family member living with mental illness can have an impact that

lasts into a persons adulthood. It can affect how the person feels about themselves, their

personal identity and self- esteem. It can also lead to strengths like a sense of self-reliance, an

ability to be tolerant and non-judgmental, compassionate and caring, personal creativity,

resourceful, original and focused, a pulling together of family members to cope with the illness,

and an appreciation for the unique strengths of each person . Including the patient living with

mental illness ( Our Healthy Minds).

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Works cited

Saunders C, Jana. Families living with severe mental illness. Issues in Mental Health Nursing

Journal, vol. 24, no. 2, jul. 9 2009, pp. 175-198. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01612840305301

How to cope when a loved one has a serious mental illness American Psychological

Association. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/ 2017. Accessed. Oct. 31, 2017.

Katz, Judith, el al. The Relationship between the Perceived Risk of Harm by a Family Member

with Mental Illness and the Family Experience. Community Mental Health Journal, vol. 51, no.

7, Oct. 2015, pp. 790-799. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s10597-014-9799-3.

Kurian, Bincy, el al. Impact of Having a Family Member with Major Mental Illness: Do There

Exists Differences Perceived among Spouse- and Non-Spouse Family Members?. Asian Journal

of Nursing Education & Research, vol.7, no. 2, Apr-Jun 2017, pp. 163-167. EBSCOhost, doi:

10.5958/2349-2996.2017.00033.7.

Impact of Mental Illness on Different Family Members. Our Healthy Minds. Capital District

Health Authority. 2008-2010. http://ourhealthyminds.com/family-handbook/. Accessed . 27 Oct.

2017.

Stastny, Peter. Taking a Different Tack on Mental Illness. The New York Times Opinion

Blog. New York Times. 27, Nov. 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/28/opinion/taking-a-

different-tack-on-mental-illness.html . Accessed. 27 Oct. 2017.

Fordyce, Moira. Caregiver Health. Family Caregiver Alliance. 1996-2017. Accessed . 7 Nov.

2017. www.caregiver.org
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