Synopses & Reviews
If you think you are the only person who ever felt you could not bear another minute of caring for a mentally ill person, and wondered why this terribly unfair thing had happened to you, this book is for you. Caring for a mentally ill loved one presents a unique set of problems and challenges. This book shows you how to provide much-needed, effective, and compassionate care without sacrificing your own well-being or the needs of other family members. As the mother of a schizophrenic daughter, Christine Adamec knows firsthand the emotional, logistic, and financial difficulties caregivers face. Here, she draws on her own experiences and the shared experiences of others, as well as the practical guidance of mental health professionals, to provide you with the strategies and tactics you need to achieve sanity in your day-to-day life. If you care for someone with schizophrenia, Alzheimers, manic depression, obsessive-compulsive behavior, or any mental illness, here is welcome advice on:
- Making sure your loved one takes his or her medication
- Handling public outbursts
- Knowing where and how to get financial aid
- Learning and asserting your rights with health care professionals
- Working with the legal, hospital, and insurance systems
- Maintaining your own health and sanity
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-226) and index.
About the Author
CHRISTINE ADAMEC is a freelance writer whose features have appeared in leading newspapers and magazines. She is the author of The Encyclopedia of Adoption and There Are Babies to Adopt. Christine lives with her husband and three children in Palm Bay, Florida.
Table of Contents
Partial table of contents:
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
The Importance of the Caregiver.
Living with the Illness.
Accepting the Illness.
LEARNING TO COPE.
How to Recognize and Deal with Serious Problem Symptoms.
The Caregiver Needs Some Caring: When You Need Help Yourself.
Dealing with People Outside the Immediate Family.
Balancing Work and Caregiving.
When the Mentally Ill Person Holds a Job.
Planning for Your Relative's Future.
THE SYSTEM MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE SOLUTION: HOW TO COPE WITH RED TAPE AND BUREAUCRACIES.
The Psychiatric Hospital System.
The Educational System.
The Insurance System.
The Criminal Justice and Substance Abuse Systems.
Conclucion.
Appendices.
Bibliography.
Index.