Helping to meet the needs of persons with mental illness and their families in Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties in Illinois

Tips for Families 

1. Acknowledge that having a loved one with a brain disorder is a difficult experience.

2.  Realize that treatment can take time to be effective.  Counseling is an ongoing process, and medications can take a while to influence a person’s nervous system.

3.  Be gentle with yourself and your loved one. You will have good days and bad days.

4.  Know that your loved one’s behaviors are symptoms of an illness, not purposeful attempts to make life difficult.

5.  Encourage thorough communication between your family and your psychiatrist. A doctor relies on observations from loved ones to know how a patient is functioning in daily life.

6.  Make time for yourself!!

7.  Teach the consumer as much as possible about his or her illness.

8.  Keep a daily schedule that is consistent with a healthy lifestyle.

9.  Try to make time for fun activities with all family members.

10.  Work together as a family for cooperation and empathy.