It's a major shock to the system when you've been diagnosed with a mental illness. There are plenty of questions that bounce around the mind after that diagnosis, some with easier answers than others. However, one of the hardest challenges you'll face is to face friends and family and announce that you have a mental health illness. Part of the difficulty springs from the uncertainty that is felt when facing loved ones to tell them that your life is about to change. No one can predict how friends and family will take hearing the news, which is what makes the experience stressful. However, there's no reason why it has to be that way. In fact, there are a few key tips to keep in mind to make this somewhat frustrating and difficult time flow as smoothly as possible.
First, consider who to tell first about the news of your mental health illness. You should start with the people that have shown themselves to be the most supportive. If you wanted to visualize it as a chain or a hierarchy, that would be a valid mental picture. In this model, you would start with the most supportive in your social network and then flow downward to those that may be less supportive at this stage. Let the most supportive person know how important it is to you that they understand the person they care about is still there and is working on building positive, healthy solutions for their life.
Second, have a plan in place that you will use to continue to invite positive changes into your life. If that means that you will be taking up volunteering to channel your attention into something positive, let your loved ones know this. The key here is to be as transparent as possible.
Third, along with having a plan in place to use for your continued growth, set boundaries and rules up front with your loved ones. If you find that you can't handle the same amount of social contact as you did in the past, be completely honest about this. While this may upset some family members, it's important to be upfront and above board about this so that family members can adjust. In the case of friends, you can still maintain contact, but on your terms. For example, if you have friends that tend to constantly interrupt and make spontaneous visits, you can advise them that you would prefer that they make an actual phone call or email to you before they just show up. This gives you time to make sure you're in the right frame of mind to enjoy their visits.
In short, the process of telling friends and family this important news about your life doesn't have to be painful and challenging. If you approach the process with the tips in this guide, you should have a smooth path to letting loved ones understand about the changes in your life without losing those precious connections to the people who matter most to you!
Going through mental health issues on your own can be scary and frustrating -- you don't have to go it alone though. Visit our mental health support community today for more great tips on handling mental illness in a positive manner. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joyce_Briggs |
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