Your Role in Supporting a Loved One
You play an important role in caring for your loved one — distinct from the role of the healthcare professionals involved in the treatment. There are a few things you can do to help your loved one manage his or her mental health:
- Encourage your loved one, and other key family members, to attend therapy. Avoid pressuring him or her to attend, but explain how therapy can reduce stress and help prevent a relapse
- Help your loved one manage his or her medication. He or she should take medicine exactly as the doctor has prescribed — the same dose at the same time, every day
- Encourage your loved one to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine. A healthy body can have a very positive effect on the mind
- Help your loved one remain appropriately engaged in the world. Be alert for signs that his or her symptoms are getting worse. If you are worried that he or she is thinking about suicide, get help. Contact his or her doctor or another healthcare professional involved in his or her treatment
