Carer Support
Caring for someone, particularly someone with mental health problems, can be a challenging but also immensely rewarding task. But it can often leave you without the time to relax and enjoy yourself so taking care of your own emotional and mental health is really important too.
You might think about:
- Involving others in the caring role – don’t feel that you have to do everything yourself. If you have friends or other family, see if they can help out to give you a break.
- Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself – you need to look after yourself too, so if you feel that you’d like to go out you shouldn’t feel guilty about it.
- Talk to someone – it could be other family, a close friend or your doctor. Talk about things, rather than bottling them up and trying to cope on your own.
- You might find it useful to talk to someone in a similar situation to yourself. Talking to someone who has had similar experiences can make us feel better, helping us to realise that ‘we’re not the only one’.
- Ask for help if you need it. Don’t let things get to the point where it begins to affect your own health and well-being. Talk to your social worker or GP about what support may be available.
