6. Empowering yourself through support and self-care
Overview
Families are often so focused on supporting their relative with psychosis that they forget to care for themselves.
When you focus only on your relative’s health problems and neglect your own needs, it can take a toll on you and negatively affect your emotional and physical well-being. You may experience stress, poor sleep, weight loss or gain, depression and anxiety.
When you address your own needs, you are healthier and better able to support your relative. In this module, we will review the sources of stress and examine how stress can impact family members. We also look at stress assessment tools, strategies to manage stress, ways to find support and the importance and benefits of prioritizing your own self-care.
Empowering Families Affected by Psychosis © , CAMH.