Mental Health Counseling & Therapy

Why And How Counseling For Family Mental Illness Can Help

Counseling for families of individuals struggling with mental illness can help with a number of complex and difficult issues, including the stale stigma that persists around mental illness. If you or a loved one suffers from a mental health challenge, you’re probably no stranger to stigmatization.

Although studies show that millennial’s are less likely to regard mental health challenges as a personal defect, outdated ideas about brain health and mental illness persist.

Unraveling Mental Health Myths

Myth #1

• Mental Health Disorders are caused by personal defects.

Myth #2

• Mental Health Disorders (In General) And Schizophrenia (In Particular) Are Characterized By Violent Behavior.

Myth #3

• People with mental health issues can use their willpower to snap out of it on their own.

People fear what they do not understand. And they cling to media images when they have no other information. One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest, Rain Man, Girl Interrupted – these are a few of the films portraying mental illness and mental illness treatment in popular media. Are they accurate? Um, not really. Most people struggling with mental illness are just like you and me.

Which Psychological Conditions Are Labeled As “Mental Health Disorders”?

Most psychological conditions share features with diagnosable mental health disorders. For the crossover to become official, the symptoms must cause serious impairment to everyday functioning.

Some of the most common mental health disorders include: Anxiety, Depression, Sleep Disorders, Eating Disorders, Substance Abuse, Addiction, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Our dedicated team of mental health specialists also addresses the following conditions:

• Bipolar Disorder: A mood disturbance characterized by alternating episodes of mania (increased activity and decreased need for sleep; rushing thoughts; feelings of invincibility or delusions of grandeur; reckless behavior, etc.) and depression (the inverse of mania: decreased activity and increased need for sleep; sluggish thoughts; feelings of worthlessness or suicidal ideation, etc.)
• Borderline Personality Disorder: A severe personality disorder characterized by an overpowering fear of abandonment; volatile or destructive relationships; black and white thinking; risky, attention-seeking, or manipulative behaviors; suicidal thoughts; and intense, unpredictable rage or chronic paranoia
• Schizophrenia: A psychotic disorder characterized by auditory and visual hallucinations; delusional or paranoid beliefs; disoriented thoughts and disorganized speech; or catatonia (repetitive/agitated movements; or episodes of abnormal/prolonged immobility)

Can Family Mental Health Counseling Help Me And My Family?

The brain is an organ, just like the heart or the pancreas. Any organ can malfunction. The difference is that with brain dysfunction, personality and behavior change, which can be frightening and confusing — to the mentally ill individual and to the family. Uncertainty can lead to chronic anxiety and depression for family members as they struggle to help their loved one through an often impossible maze of diagnoses and treatment options.

Don’t be a hero. Seek help for yourself and your family when someone you love struggles with mental illness. Our experts can help you navigate these perilous waters!