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Ashley Lenser

Professor Barnes

ENG 1201

25 March 2021

Mental Illness Within a Family

Mental illness is something that has been talked about around the world moreso today, and

can affect anyone, no matter one’s race, gender, or religion. More times than not, having a mental

illness is unavoidable and there are many ways for people to try and get the help they need and/or

want. While mental illnesses are advocated for, I feel as if it is not clearly communicated on how it

can affect the family or close friends of people who suffer from these illnesses. It can be just as

hard on them because there are many thoughts running through their head and worrying about their

close relative or friend because they care about them. While living or caring for someone who has

a mental illness can be challenging, there are many ways for the family to learn how to adjust and

make things not as difficult on everyone such as educating themselves on the topic, being there for

emotional support, and trying to get the person who needs help, help.

What exactly is a mental illness? Mental illnesses are “health conditions involving changes

in emotion, thinking or behavior, (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated wtih

distress and/or problems functioning in social, work, or family activities” (Ranna Parekh, ‘What is

a Mental Illness?’). Mental illnesses can date as far back as man can remember, but it was not until

1883 when Emil Krapelin came up with a list of symptoms and an underlying cause for the mental

illness. A mental illness is something that is widely advocated today, but throughout the 1960’s

until about the 1980’s, mental illnesses were not talked about a lot. It was the kind of situation

where if you did not talk about it, it did not exist. Obviously they do exist, but it made people
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seem “weak” so they kept it out of sight and therefore out of mind. As time went on, a growing

awareness has been brought to mental illnesses with a much greater understanding. As a result, it

is simply more accepted and therefore a higher level of care is often warranted and in a more

urgent manner in some cases.

In my opinion, one of the most valuable things a family can do that has someone in their

family who suffers from a mental illness is to educate themselves as much as they can. If the family

commits to understanding, it will put less stress on everyone because they know what the person is

going through, and the family will be able to help them. Gaining knowledge allows for a deeper

empathy for the suffering. Families can also learn how to deal with the unpredictability of a mental

illness. It is important to understand the each day could be different for the suffering individual and

come with new challenges. So, learning that this is a part of the disease will again allow for

empathy and understanding. When those closest to the individual learn how to handle those

unpredictable situation, to the best of their ability, could be very beneficial for not only the family,

but also the individual.

“Often, therapists are amenable to working with families to educate them about their loved

one’s illness and to offer suggestions about how they can help. By learning about your loved one’s

illness, you can help them avoid triggers and encourage them throughout the therapy process”

(Family Support in Mental Health Treatment). Advoiding triggers is especially important because

that is one way the person will be able to overcome the mental illness. It is also beneficial if the

affected have an awareness of triggers so they can be avoided at all cost. If they are not reminded

of a certain something all the time, it may allow some reprieve for that individual. For the family to

be encouraging throughout the process is just as important. Encouragement with deep empathy and

understanding is simply a recipe for success.

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If an individual is diagnosed with schizophrenia, one of the first steps you could do is try to

get into a mental facility where people are taken care of with similar disorders to ensure proper

care. It is equally important for the family to be involved in the process and to ask the necessary

questions along the way. Ultimately, the early and often family involvement could possibly even

prepare them a little bit more for what could be in store in the future for them. It allows the patient

and the family to gather different perspectives on the situation.

Providing proper emotional support for those who suffer from mental illness can help many

suffering. For family to be in the individuals corner and encouraging them is very important

because they will know that they will always have someone there for them. Through knowledge

and understanding, those closest to the affected will also be aware that there will be difficult

periods and learn how to work through those. Although, the feeling of being lonely will not help

their situation and could potentially make things worse for them emotionally. According to the

article “Supporting a Friend or Family Member with a Mental Illness”, getting medical help for the

individual is important, but also going with them on the first appointments to get the ball rolling

and being there for them is just as important. This is important because they may not have a lot of

energy or they may experience problems with concentration as to why they could potentially need

help. Regardless of why they would need help, emotional support is still important for them

because this could potentially reassure them. It is also very important that the family show patience

and try not to be judgemental of the person. Doing that could lead the individual to getting a wrong

impression. You can not disregard the individuals feelings, they need to be and feel heard by their

loved ones the most.

Since having someone in the family with a mental illness can be challenging for everyone,

family members could also consider joining a support group specifically for family members.
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There, they can connect with other families going through something similar and it can help you

work through your own emotions talking it out with someone else. It is also just as important that

you take care of your own mental health also. The families could also potentially learn something

from the other families from their stories and experiences and how they cope with some of the

things that occur in their household. Sharing your experiences could help the person next to you

and you never even knew it.

Someone who has a mental illness may not want help, but sometimes it is what they need

in order to get better. Trying to encourage them to admit themselves into a facility and getting the

appropriate help they need will be difficult but reminding them that it could possibly help them is

important as well. They will need to go on their own, but it could be valuable to mention that to

them. Involuntary treatment is possible but it can be traumatic and complicated for everyone

invloved because it is something that the individual does not want.

Mental illnesses can categorize as many different things. From depression to epilepsy, they

are both mental brain illnesses. There are many different symptoms for all types of mental illnesses.

Many people often think of depression and anxiety when they first hear the words “mental illness’,

but there is so much more out there that many people probably have no idea exists. I personally

have experiences with family members who suffer from mental illness. My sister has an illness

called misophonia which is the extreme hatred of noises. She has been living with this for almost

eight years now. Misophonia is an often undermined disorder. In the past years there has been little

to no research done on the topic. More recently there have been more studies done and trying to

figure out the mysteries of the illness. A little background on the illness is that it usually starts

around the age 12 for most. In an article from Harvard Health it states, “People with misophonia

are affected emotionally by common sounds, usually those made by others, and usually ones that
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other people don’t pay attention to” (James Cartreine, Misophonia: When sounds really do make

you “crazy”).

Misophonia can also lead to other metal ilnesses as well. For example anxiety or stress,

these are huge ones because when a person with misphonia is in a large public setting it can be

overwhelming at the thought of a triggering noise, or the possibility of a triggering noise. I know

that my sister will avoid social situations at any cost so she does not have to worry about the

possibility of triggers.

This was a big adjustment for us as a family. It was very hard at times becasuse it is a

mysterious illness and it changed the lives of all of us. Before my sister had experienced this

disorder, and identified it within herself, our family would often disregard her symptoms. As time

progressed and her symptoms became consistent and more obvious, this has completely changed

the way we view mental illness and the way we treat people. I think we have become more

understanding people now that we have learned form her and how to help her in stressful

situations.

It is very important for people to be accepting and empathetic of others no matter what

they deal with. There is much more advocacy for mental health today than there ever has been but

there is still a lot of judgement around those who suffer. Mental illness is not always an easy thing

to deal with but once you have had a personal experience, whether it be you who has it or

someone close within the family, it can be a huge eye opener.

An additional burdening issue for many people is the cost of therapy and medication. While

the family may have good intentions to get help for their loved one, sometimes money or the lack

thereof, can stand in the way. Insurance can/will cover many of the expenses, but not all of them.

This can lead to some people never getting the proper care they need and the patient could never
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get better and in some cases could lead to more devastating situations. If that were to happen, that

would be a whole different type of pain and grief on the family.

There are many different types of mental illnesses and it can vary from each person, so that

means the cost for each different type of medicine will be different for almost everyone. Depending

on what you have and how much medication you will need will tell you the cost. $71 billion

dollars was spent to treat depressive mental disorders in 2013. For antidepressants, a common

mental illness medication, the cost of the medication can be anywhere from $32-$133 a month.

That can be a lot of money on a family who can not necessarily afford that in their budget.

On the other hand, some people who do suffer from a mental illness, may believe that they

do not need help. When one is diagnosed with a mental illness, but denies help or medication, that

would be going against the norms of a mental illness and is overall unhealthy. This prolongs the

road to recovery as the condition will not get better on its own or with time. Some critics tend to

believe that certain forms of help are not benefical. One big issue in the article “The Downside of

Mental Health Awareness” written by Susan Weinstein is that the quality of the therapy and help

you recieve may not be the best and therefore may not help you and could take you a long time to

find someone who can actually help you. She states that the mental health research is underfunded

which can lead to specialists not knowing or giving the right type of treatments to their patients

which is not good for anyone involved because how do we expect the mentally ill to recover? No

one can prevent a mental illness which is why research for this topic should not be underfunded.

When a family educates themseleves on mental illness, is there to emotionally support the

ill, and makes any and all efforts in trying to financially secure professional help they are making a

difference whether they realize it or not. Nothing they do will go unnoticed within the family and

the person who is ill will notice the little things and be so appreciative in the end when they are
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getting better and feeling better. While understanding mental illness is important, it is equally

important to make sure that the family who has someone mentally ill has the resources and care

available to provide proper support is just as important. It can be emotionally and mentally tiring

for everyone.
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Works Cited

“Family Support in Mental Health Treatment.” Mental Health Center, 8 June 2017,

www.mentalhealthcenter.org/family-support-in-mental-health-treatment/#:~:text=Often%2C

%20therapists%20are%20amenable%20to,them%20throughout%20the%20therapy%20proce

ss.

James Cartreine, PhD. “Misophonia: When Sounds Really Do Make You ‘Crazy.’” Harvard

Health Blog, 25 June 2019,

www.health.harvard.edu/blog/misophonia-sounds-really-make-crazy-2017042111534.

Parekh, Ranna. What Is Mental Illness?, Aug. 2018,

www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness.

“Supporting a Friend or Family Member with a Mental Illness.” Supporting a Friend or

Family Member with a Mental Illness | Here to Help, 2013,

www.heretohelp.bc.ca/infosheet/supporting-a

Weinstein , Susan. “The Downside of Mental Health Awareness.” Care for Your Mind,

careforyourmind.org/the-downside-of-mental-health-awareness/.

Winerman, Lea. “By the Numbers: The Cost of Treatment.” Monitor on Psychology,

American Psychological Association, Mar. 2017, www.apa.org/monitor/2017/03/numbers.