Mental Health and Family Relationships

Posted on: Jan 11, 2023 | | Written by:

Mental Health and Family Relationships

Published on January 11, 2023. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

Family provides great support during difficult times, and healthy family relationships bring great positivity to a person’s overall well-being. However, when a person is diagnosed with a mental illness, the patient might go into a shell and display erratic behaviour. In fact, given the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, the person might feel embarrassed even to express his/her feelings and thoughts. These symptoms can have a detrimental effect on the person’s family members, who may struggle to understand the patient’s trauma, cause, and consequences. This is where more awareness about the topic can help.

Does mental health affect and impinge on family relationships?

Yes. Mental illness affects not only the person suffering from it but also everyone in the family. It can be extremely painful and traumatic for everyone when you or some family member gets diagnosed with a mental illness. Apart from impacting the family’s financial conditions, it can also lead to emotional and behavioural problems. They can suffer from anxiety, depression, feelings of guilt, confusion, anger, social withdrawal, change in behaviour, loss of appetite, insomnia, migraines, etc. In fact, as per astudy, one-half of family members revealed that they had to seek help and support for developing psychological problems, such as depression and sleep problems.

When a patient's conditions become severe, needing constant care and attention can cause imbalance and stress in family life. The study found that while some family members had to leave their jobs, others had to give up their social life. They did not feel comfortable inviting people to their homes or talking to people about the patients' mental problems.

The study also pointed out the effect on patients' children. Being too young to understand their parents' behaviour, such children usually blame themselves for the condition and grow up feeling lonely and isolated. Eventually, they may develop mental health issues as well as other psychological and behavioural problems.

According to the study, at least 80% of patients admitted their mental health affected their family immensely.

Tips for Supporting your Family’s Mental Wellness

Good graces begin in the home. This is especially true for mental well-being as well. A family, after all, is an individual’s primary kinship group and an indelible part of his/her support system.Here are some tips for supporting your family’s mental wellness and well-being.

1. Encourage healthy dialogue:

Communication and sharing are the cornerstones of healthy relationships. Therefore, the head of a household must foster an environment of healthy discussion. Encourage all your family members to share their feelings, opinions and thoughts. Always ensure that this dialogue occurs in a judgement-free atmosphere and with utmost respect between your family members. When inculcated from a young age with your kids, they too will understand and appreciate that they can express themselves at home without fear of being judged or berated.

2. Keep an open mind:

The world as we know it doesn't exist in black and white; it has many shades. An open mind towards your family members' opinions, lifestyles, and other social choices will help you love and support them when they need it the most. This is extremely important in the increasingly anonymous, digital world. Knowing that a parent or significant other has the mental acuity to empathise and understand their (kids'/spouse's) point of view will encourage greater openness and a healthy exchange of ideas.

3. Don’t be intimidated to show affection:

Physical gestures of affection, like a hug, a high-five or a pat on the back, can really lift the spirits of loved ones. Especially in times of stress, a kind word to your kids, a hug to your wife, or a call to your relatives can help buoy their spirits. Physical signs of affection have a profound psychological effect on people. It is known that a hug can significantly raise the levels of serotonin in the body and lift one’s mood. So don’t hesitate to show the people you love that you care with displays of affection.

4. Be active together:

A family that games together stays together. Using this as a guide, indulge in activities as a family unit. For instance, organise a board game night instead of vegetating in front of the television. Or solve a puzzle together that helps your family get some downtime from their smart devices. Go for a walk with the family pet as a unit. Being physically and mentally active as a family helps encourage reliance on each other and interdependence (the good kind), which brings family members closer together.

5. Make the time to check in:

This is especially true if you stay away from your family. A call, a text, or video calling to check in with each other really helps kill loneliness. More than this, it shows concern, which is the true purpose of being connected. Use technology to connect and bring your family closer together, wherever they may be.

6. Take trips together:

Remote working is still the norm for most office-goers. If you can, do take advantage of this to take family trips. This will help reduce stress and friction that may occur at home.

7. Make mental health a priority:

In India, families still seem to frown upon mental health. If you or any member of your family is finding it hard to cope, stresses too much or is suddenly feeling depressed, seek the advice of a trained mental health practitioner. Make mental health a priority as a family unit. Check if mental health is covered if you have a family health insurance plan or an individual health insurance policy.

Conclusion

Mental health is an important facet of human life. It must never be ignored. Knowing that a loved one has a mental illness can be depressing, and the practice of good mental health ought to begin at home. Seek professional help if required. At the same time, ensure you and other family members are able to cope with the stress while taking care of the person with mental illness. One more thing that you should not ignore is having a robust medical insurance plan to stay financially protected during a medical crisis.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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