The Sure Word for Today's quotation for the week:
God Is My Stronghold.
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Mental Illness. How Can I Help? — Part 6.
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.
1 Peter 3:8 (KJV).
The person with mental illness that you care for needs to be encouraged to stay independent. How can you encourage them to be independent? When you care for someone, they can become very dependent on you. Over time the person you care for can rely on you for things they could do themselves. Think about giving them more chances to make decisions and do things for themselves. Over time they may become more comfortable making decisions, which may take some of the pressure off you.
People with a mental illness can experience a profound sense of loss of control over their life. Encouraging the person you care for to make decisions for themselves can help them regain some control. A relationship based on trust and understanding is possible when the boundaries of the carer and care recipient are respected. Allowing the person you care for to make their own decisions and solve their own problems will allow you to move towards being a caregiver rather than a caretaker.
As a carer, you can fall into the category of caretaker, caregiver, or a little of both. The type of carer that you are can significantly impact how you cope in the caring role. The caregiver takes care of themselves as well as the person they care for. A caretaker puts the needs of others ahead of their own wellbeing and feels the need to 'fix' the person they care for.
Caregivers empower the person they care for by encouraging them to make their own choices and be responsible for their own actions. They understand that caring involves options and alternatives, not ultimatums. They take into account their own needs, the needs of the person they care for, and the needs of others in their family. They know that because someone demands or expects something doesn't automatically give them the right to it. They can assert their limits and boundaries.
Dependent personality disorder (DPD) is an anxious personality disorder characterised by an inability to be alone. People with DPD develop symptoms of anxiety when they are not around others. They rely on other people for comfort, reassurance, advice, and support.
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All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the HOLY BIBLE unless otherwise indicated.
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