In personal mental crisis and over-dependent

It´s critical that you and your relative don´t become overly reliant on you. Your relative may lose faith in their ability to do things for themselves. You may find yourself taking on more than you anticipated, leaving you stressed and exhausted.

Work towards independence

Set goals to gradually build your relative's confidence and independence. In the beginning, your relative´s objectives may include to:

•  fill in benefits forms,
• get up in the morning,
• pay their bills,
•  eat properly,
•  go to appointments, and
• take medication.

Get a carer’s assessment

Because your relative is particularly ill, you may be required to do more than you prefer. If you are struggling to cope, contact your local authority´s social care team and request a carer´s assessment. They may be able to arrange for extra assistance or a break for you and your relative.

Get help from professionals

If your relative is receiving professional care, you could speak with their care coordinator. Their care plan may include assistance from an occupational therapist or supported housing to help them develop independent living skills.

Set boundaries

Determine how much you can do for your relative and set limits. It is preferable if you can reach an agreement early on, but you can revisit the situation at any time. Explain why you need to establish boundaries. Try to be as sensitive as possible.

They don’t feel like fighting

And that can feel like the worst-case scenario. Experts advise encouraging them to attend their appointments or whatever else is required for their treatment process. Please don´t abandon them on the days when they´ve abandoned themselves. Extreme personal mental crises can be overcome.

Download Minplan

So what happens if your relative becomes overly reliant? Download the Minplan app here to create a safety plan to help you overcome these situations. Add the warning signs that cause the problems and use the strategies to prepare you for dealing with these situations in the future.

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