If you think you are the only person who ever felt you could not bear another minute of caring for a mentally ill person, and wondered why this terribly unfair thing had happened to you, this book is for you. Caring for a mentally ill loved one presents a unique set of problems and challenges. This book shows you how to provide much-needed, effective, and compassionate care without sacrificing your own well-being or the needs of other family members. As the mother of a schizophrenic daughter, Christine Adamec knows firsthand the emotional, logistic, and financial difficulties caregivers face. Here, she draws on her own experiences and the shared experiences of others, as well as the practical guidance of mental health professionals, to provide you with the strategies and tactics you need to achieve sanity in your day-to-day life. If you care for someone with schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, manic depression, obsessive-compulsive behavior, or any mental illness, here is welcome advice on:
- Making sure your loved one takes his or her medication
- Handling public outbursts
- Knowing where and how to get financial aid
- Learning and asserting your rights with health care professionals
- Working with the legal, hospital, and insurance systems
- Maintaining your own health and sanity
