Empowering families affected by psychosis

Psychoeducation family groups are available to help support you when you have a family member experiencing psychosis. These programs offer support to both the person experiencing the symptoms and their families, and they are there to support your needs across all phases of psychosis and recovery.

Many families find it helpful to meet with other families as it helps them feel less isolated and alone when they hear that others go through similar experiences. Families can also share their expertise and experiences with one another.

You may find comfort in sharing your story in a safe environment where you’re able to describe the events leading up to your relative’s first episode of psychosis. You most likely have several questions and concerns such as:

what is happening?
what causes this?
what can we do to help?
will this happen again?
how have you dealt with this in your family?

These programs offer information on how to:

deal with grief and loss
adjust to having different expectations for your relative
reach a shared understanding about what psychosis is
learn about what programs and services are available for your relative
help your relative become as independent and autonomous as possible
collaborate with a health care team and navigate the health care system
learn about coping with stress and your own self-care.