3 Tips to Empower You and Your Loved One

How can I help my loved one? How can I support their recovery? These are common questions I get from caregivers and supporters of people living with a diagnosis. I will identify three general tips to solidify your goals to empower your loved one.

Before asking how can I help my loved one, consider this: are they ready to move forward in recovery right now? Is this what they want, or what I want? Recovery demands ownership of the process. Here are some dos for supporting your loved: 

1) Give options and practice shared decision-making, 

2) Focus on strengths, and 

3) Keep the trust. 

First, nobody likes being told what to do. Therefore, practice shared decision-making. Empower your loved one with options. For example, instead of saying you’re going to this program or that personal care home, discuss the choices. I understand how this could work, first-hand. Eventually, I didn’t want to stay with family, I wanted to live on my own. My mother didn’t want me to leave, but she consciously avoided being overprotective and supported my decision to move into a personal care home. This decision established the fact that I was in control of my journey.

Second, recognize strengths. Most of society puts people with a diagnosis into a box. Others state limitations that instill fear to avoid exploring and developing skills. It is essential to acknowledge skills, hobbies, and goals, and to motivate your loved one to consider taking action to strengthen hope for better days.

Third, keep the trust. If there is a struggle explain actions when your loved one is doing better and is more receptive to the conversation. Therefore, avoid arguing about symptoms and experiences such as delusions or false beliefs. If your loved one is argumentative that is not the time to explain perspectives. In fact, do not argue about false beliefs because it will widen the gap of distrust and wear you down.

Finally, as we know, mental illness is a brain disorder and medication may not treat all symptoms. Therefore, support your loved one by continuing to learn more about the diagnosis. Remember to manage your own self-care, which is vital to their journey and yours. Believe you will make many mistakes, but focus on the goals and your empowering intentions will prevail.