24/7 Support for Mental Health: Call 512-472-HELP (4357)
Integral Care
To successfully support a loved one and stay healthy, family members benefit from their own dedicated support and education plan. Often, accessing this kind of help is the best first step in helping a loved one and is the equivalent of putting your oxygen mask on first before helping someone else on a plane.
Here, we’ll share some great tips and resources families can benefit from while navigating a loved one’s mental health challenge.
No one should face a mental health challenge alone, even when the diagnosis isn’t theirs. Whether through paid therapy, family counseling, or a community support group, talking about their experiences can increase resilience, build empathy, and reinforce good boundary setting.
Here are quick tips for making the most of a support group:
Formal and informal support should offer impartial and confidential support. Leaning on other family members and friends can create awkward situations. A neutral setting can help family members to open up more about their experiences.
Like many kinds of treatment, the benefits of support will increase over time. Give therapy or support group time to develop before giving up.
While sticking with the plan is essential, it’s also vital to find the right kind of support. If a particular group or therapy isn’t a good individual fit, it’s time to move on. It’s okay to “shop around” for the right experience.
Knowledge and understanding go hand-in-hand with acceptance and recovery. Family members who take time to learn about mental health challenges will have more empathy and will be more able to protect their own mental health.
Here are a few tips to get started:
1. Find good sources
Google is a wealth of information, but what you find can be overwhelming, sensationalized, or just plain wrong. Be sure to use trusted sources for information.
2. Ask questions
Some aspects of mental health and treatment options are confusing. Use your community resources to better understand how to navigate the system.
3. Stay judgment free
As family members learn more about mental health challenges, it’s key to remember that everyone’s experience is different and the path to recovery is rarely linear.
Mental Health Conditions
Detailed guide to common mental health diagnoses, treatments options, and support.
Mental Health First Aid
Like CPR for mental health, the one-day class trains attendees on how to help someone in a mental health crisis.
Circle of Care Guidebook
Guide unpaid friends, family, and neighbors who care for someone with a mental health condition.
No one wants to see a loved one go through a mental health crisis, but knowing what to do and where to get them help can reduce stress and be life-saving.
Here are a few quick tips for crisis planning:
1. Don’t wait
It’s never too late to write down the details, even for family members in the midst of a crisis. The plan can be as simple as a document listing basic details such as contact information, medications, and treatment preferences.
2. At your fingertips
Programming important numbers, such as the crisis lifeline, into a phone can save time later. The crisis plan document should be easily accessible on a cell phone or at home.
3. Share the plan
Everyone who might need to help needs to know the details of the crisis plan.
Mental Health Crisis Planning Flyer
Printable flyer with questions to consider and actionable steps to create a crisis plan.
Travis County Crisis Services
Crisis services in Travis County through Integral Care.
Central Texas Crisis Resources
NAMI Central Texas Crisis Resource Guide, including resources across Central Texas.