Source: # Helping a loved one with mental illness – family and relationships How to listen, what to say and what not to say, supporting a family member through mental illness, and looking after yourself as a carer. ## Chapters on this topic ### Chapter 17: Helping a Family Member Love without police energy : Food, a booked OPD, and one person who also sleeps. Two carers beat one hero. - [17.1 Why family support matters](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#why-family-support-matters/) - [17.2 Understanding the person's experience](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#understanding-the-persons-experience/) - [17.3 How to talk](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#how-to-talk/) - [17.4 Encouraging professional help](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#encouraging-professional-help/) - [17.5 Supporting treatment at home](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#supporting-treatment-at-home/) - [17.6 Handling crises at home](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#handling-crises-at-home/) - [17.7 Reducing stigma within the family](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#reducing-stigma-within-the-family/) - [17.8 Special considerations](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#special-considerations/) - [17.9 Caring for the caregiver](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#caring-for-the-caregiver/) - [17.10 Five steps to help someone in distress](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#five-steps-to-help-someone-in-distress/) - [17.11 A simple story](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#a-simple-story-10/) - [17.12 One companion verse](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/17#one-companion-verse-12/) ### Chapter 34: Relationships and Communication Listening, speaking and staying connected - [34.1 Why connection matters](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#why-connection-matters/) - [34.2 Different kinds of relationships](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#different-kinds-of-relationships/) - [34.3 Attachment styles in adult relationships](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#attachment-styles-in-adult-relationships/) - [34.4 The building blocks of good communication](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#the-building-blocks-of-good-communication/) - [34.5 Handling conflict](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#handling-conflict/) - [34.6 Boundaries](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#boundaries/) - [34.7 Making and keeping friends as an adult](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#making-and-keeping-friends-as-an-adult/) - [34.8 Healthy and unhealthy relationships](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#healthy-and-unhealthy-relationships/) - [34.9 Grief, breakups, and loss of relationships](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#grief-breakups-and-loss-of-relationships/) - [34.10 Relationships and mental illness](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#relationships-and-mental-illness/) - [34.11 Social media and connection](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#social-media-and-connection/) - [Reflection activity](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#reflection-activity-19/) - [Key points to remember](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/chapter/34#key-points-to-remember-9/) ## Stories from real life (11) - [The Door That Stayed Closed](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/the-door-that-stayed-closed-67/) – Fatima, 15, in Lucknow, has started spending evenings in her room with the door shut. She skips meals, her marks have fallen and she… - [Appa in the Village](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/appa-in-the-village-68/) – Mr Gowda, 76, lives in a village near Mysuru with his son's family. For months he has been quiet, forgets where he put things,… - [Brother, Bottle and Blame](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/brother-bottle-and-blame-69/) – Imran, 35, in Kolkata, drinks every evening and more on weekends. He has missed work, lost his temper with his wife and borrowed money.… - [The Daughter Who Held Everything Together](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/the-daughter-who-held-everything-together-70/) – Lakshmi, 40, in Hyderabad, looks after her mother who has schizophrenia, her two children, and works part-time. She gives medicines on time, goes to… - [Five Steps for Anil](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/five-steps-for-anil-71/) – Anil, 29, in Delhi, has been unusually quiet, has missed work and says little at family dinners. His older sister Rekha feels something is… - [Suresh And Meena](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/suresh-and-meena-173/) – For weeks, Meena seemed to be slipping away. She became completely withdrawn, often tearful, and highly irritable. She stopped cooking, began missing days at… - [Three Hundred Contacts and Nobody to Call](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/three-hundred-contacts-and-nobody-to-call-144/) – Lena, twenty-six, moved to Toronto for a software job. She had hundreds of contacts on her phone and two video calls a week with… - [Three Words He Always Said](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/three-words-he-always-said-145/) – Carla and Diego, married eleven years in Mexico City, had the same argument most nights. She would say, 'You never help. You are just… - [I Am Happy to Talk, But Not Like This](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/i-am-happy-to-talk-but-not-like-this-146/) – Thabo, thirty-three, from Johannesburg, said yes to everything. He covered shifts for colleagues, lent money to his cousin who never returned it, and answered… - [She Stopped Seeing Her Friends](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/she-stopped-seeing-her-friends-147/) – Ruth, twenty-eight, from Glasgow, met Callum at a party, and he was charming. After a year she noticed small changes. He checked her phone,… - [Left on Read](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/story/left-on-read-148/) – Tariq, nineteen, from Dhaka, sent a message to his best friend Rafi and watched the screen. Seen, but no reply. By evening he was… ## Shloks (1) - [Tukaram Gatha; cite by first line](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/shloka/tukaram-gatha-cite-by-first-line-26/) – The person who treats the broken and suffering as their own family is a true saint. That is where God lives. ## More topics - [What is mental health? A simple guide to the mind and who can help](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/mental-health-basics/) - [The brain, hormones and body chemistry behind your moods](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/brain-and-body/) - [Emotions, anger and mood swings – understanding your feelings](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/emotions/) - [Stress – causes, symptoms and how to reduce stress at work and in exams](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/stress/) - [Anxiety, panic attacks and fear – signs, causes and what helps](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/anxiety/) - [Depression and low mood – signs, causes and the way back](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/depression/) - [Trauma, grief and loss – healing at your own pace](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/trauma-grief/) - [Children, teenagers and parents – mental health at home and school](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/children-parents/) - [Sleep problems, food and daily routine for a healthy mind](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/sleep-food-routine/) - [Counselling, therapy and psychiatric medicines explained](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/therapy-medicines/) - [Mental health crisis and suicide prevention – what to do](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/safety-crisis/) - [The five senses, the five elements and the mind](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/senses-elements/) - [Bhagavad Gita, yoga and Indian wisdom for mental peace](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/spiritual-wisdom/) - [Addiction to alcohol, tobacco, drugs and gambling – signs and recovery](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/addiction/) - [Phone addiction, social media and screen time – digital well-being](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/digital-life/) - [Ageing well, memory loss and dementia – caring for elders](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/topic/later-life/) [myadvisorfriend@gmail.com](mailto:myadvisorfriend@gmail.com) · [Contact](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/contact/) · [About](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/about/) · [Privacy](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/privacy/) · [Disclaimer](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/disclaimer/) --- *Psychology for Everyone – A Mental Well Being Series* by Satish Zope · free to read · Contact: [myadvisorfriend@gmail.com](mailto:myadvisorfriend@gmail.com) · [About](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/about/) · [Privacy](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/privacy/) · [Disclaimer](https://psychologyforeveryone.com/disclaimer/)