When your child gets a fracture, are you worried? When anyone in your family is not keeping well or had an accident, the anxiety trickles down to everyone’s mind whether they want it or not. Something similar happens when talking about mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorders, PTSD, and many more. A person might face problems due to their mental health conditions. This can play a vital in deteriorating the mental conditions of others as well. People perceive these problems in several ways. Hence, diagnosed in different conditions due to unique reasons. Just for once imagine how stressful can it be for you, if your dear one is schizophrenic?
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HOW CAN IT AFFECT THEM?
The circumstances differ in every patients’ case and hence, the way they suffer also differs. At times people do not have enough money or facilities to avail mental health conditions. They feel helpless, guilty, stressed, and anxious. In that case, it can be stressful for the family members and can force them to blame themselves.They might juggle their problems related to work, home, or finances. Since the process is painful for everyone, it can affect the family’s finances and overall happiness adversely. At times, they do not get time to take care of themselves, which can adversely affect their mental health. The family members can suffer from both mental and physical problems, hence having a ripple effect on people.
Their stress is not only from the affection that a loved one is suffering but also from the fact that they have to stay in such an environment. Since the family member lives together, they also have to take care of the person. This can be traumatic for that family member. As they have to keep up with the somatic, emotional, and behavioral troubles of the patient. somatic problems such as migraines, loss of appetite, fatigue, or insomnia. cognitive and emotional problems can be anxiety, depression, guilt, fear, anger, confusion. Also, behavioral troubles (changes in attitude, and social withdrawal). As they take care they may also develop mental health problems. In some cases, the psychological problem and social problems were so worsened that they had to go to the doctor and take support.
SOME CIRCUMSTANCE THAT FOSTER THE RIPPLE EFFECT
Someone is an addict. Maybe to drugs, alcoholic substances, or others, then it can be emotionally draining for the family members as well. The mood swings emotionally and behavior-wise can so be displeasing that it makes relatives anxious and traumatic. Therefore, in some cases, the patient and the family have been isolated. Certain mental conditions can force the patient to be physically violent towards their own family. Some examples are Munchausen syndrome, suicidal thoughts, and so forth. This worries the members of the family as well. The family structure affects a child’s mental health. In some cases, they got separated, which can impinge on the overall growth of the child. The surroundings of the child can be full of fights, anger, trauma, and other violent activities. As a result, they suffer from the long-term effects of PTSD.
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CAN INCLUSION OF FAMILY HELP THE PATIENT?
About 71% of the mental health caretakers claimed to have poor mental and physical health. So, you can imagine now how much the family members are affected. However, studies claim that the inclusion of the parents in the process helps in the recovery of the patient. Being taken care of at home, near the parents, can help the patient to express themselves while feeling safe. Parents can give a more comfortable environment for a child. This can make sure that the concerns and frustrations of the patient are resolved.
The collaboration of both the family along with supporters can accelerate the recovery process of the patient. Sometimes, parents might go the group discussions to listen to the grievances and in the hope of getting motivation. Moreover, communication let the family member know that they should not feel helpless rather empower their child. However, they get more tensed and anxious after looking at the condition of other children. This can turn into a vicious cycle where the ripple effect goes from children of parent and then the other way around.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?
The children who have their parents facing a mental illness can be difficult to handle. Since their naivety will not be able to understand the complexity of mental illness. As a result, they might blame themselves for the same. In the long run, they can become an introvert and can prefer to stay lonely too. It can be the other way around as well wherein the parents blame them. In such cases, they spent most of the time contemplating the reasons for the occurrence of psychological problems. This can continue and goes on if not treated. The ripple effect is very common.
INFLUENCE ON GLOBAL ECONOMY
You might think that the immediate family members are the only ones affected. However, this ripple effect can affect the entire world altogether. About 71% of the productivity is affected and hampered because of the same. Additionally, depression and anxiety conditions are the reason why global economy is facing a loss of about $1 trillion. Infact, it is the leading cause of disability for about 354 diseases in many countries. There are high chances that these people are diagnosed with cancer and diabetes. A study proved that 19% of the US adults with mental illness disorder are also a substance addict. About 37% of prisoners have diagnosed with mental health condition.
If you recognize the symptoms of mental illness in you or your relatives, seek help. If it is someone else you can discuss it with them. Console them and see the level of adversity. You can tell or yourself follow the aforementioned steps in case of a problem. Instead of withdrawing yourself and talking to other people, you can express your problems. Find people to talk to, be it your friends, family, relatives, or anyone you might feel comfortable with. If you feel, that you cannot trust anyone to the condition is worsening, take another step. Visit or call a mental health institution or psychologist. State the reasons correctly without any hesitation of how it is because of the ripple effect of mental illness. This helps the doctors to understand the problem better and treat it accordingly.
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