General Helping Your Sufferer Through A Crisis

[anthony]

Here are some tips to help your sufferer through a crisis/difficult situation, e.g., when they have just returned home from hospital and so on:

1. Remove as many as many stressors as you can, for example:

• keeping the noise level down in the house
• placing a limit on visitors
• taking messages so the sufferer need not speak to anyone unnecessarily
• avoid confronting them about sensitive issues, unless absolutely necessary

2. Lower your expectations of the sufferer, for example:

• allowing them to sleep in or otherwise rest and not criticize them for it
• allowing them a break from chores or household duties that are usually theirs
• accepting their decisions, should they not wish to leave the house, go anywhere or speak with anyone
• do not criticize or berate them for being angry or upset
• understanding should they wish to have a break from therapy and doctors
• not pressuring them to talk about problems, before they are ready
• not taking the situation personally

3. Assist them to look after themselves, for example:

• making sure they take their medications, eat healthy and get enough rest
• being available to talk if they wish, though not forcing the issue

4. Watch for warning signs and take appropriate action, for example:

• watching for self-harm, severe dissociation, severe depression and so on
• being familiar with the signs of an impending suicide, and having a action plan for taking the sufferer to the hospital if need be

5. Do not take out your disappointment on your loved one, for example:

• you may have to cancel plans and rearrange schedules; do so without blame
• do not complain about having to pick up extra slack around the house
• do not keep score of what slack you picked up and then bring it up constantly
• do not gripe about how long it takes to get better or drop hints at the inconvenience this is causing

6. Engage your loved one in interests they enjoy, for example:

• ask them what they would like to do, talk to them about their interests and assist them to enjoy themselves if they wish
• do not consider stress relievers such as playing video games, chatting online and watching television a “waste of time”.
• if there is something fun or distracting which they wish to do, encourage and enable them to do it, and do not judge them for “overdoing it”

 

[lovinbiker]

I gotta say some of this is very helpful and explains a lot to me

 

[Redheaded Stranger]

This article is very helpful. I like to think I do this but it is nice to see that maybe I'm doing something right.