Regardless how you choose to define your family unit, family is the anchor and support you need in life. Family relationships play a key role in the emotional health of each member within the family. Any change in one member of the family, affects both the family structure and each member individually. When a family member struggles with an addiction, medical issue or mental health diagnosis such as schizophrenia, alcohol and substance dependency, bipolar, anxiety, personality issues, depression and eating disorders, family members play the most crucial role in supporting their road to recovery.
The latest Institute of Mental Health (IMH) study reported that the most common mental illness in Singapore is Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), affecting 1 out of 17 people; alcohol abuse emerges as the second. The study also found that majority of the people with mental health issues took an average of 5 to 14 years to start seeking help.
Despite living under the same roof, we can be oblivious to distressing issues that affect our loved ones and the severity of them. Some family members find themselves dealing with a whole range of uncomfortable emotions of their own when living with someone who is emotionally or psychologically unwell, they in turn become distressed. This highlights the emotional interdependence and profound influence each individual has on the family, and reciprocally. It is hence important to restore family functions and relationships to a positive and healthy place.
We can work to strengthen the family, to withstand adversities together.
There are a number of things that can be done to ensure the family is can move past their struggles and be able to foster a positive growth environment.
Identify strengths and weaknesses within the particular family system
Being able to identify the issue and points of contention is instrumental in discovering how to solve the problem. To do this requires honest communications between family members and willingness to be open to each individual's concerns and views. Doing this will also allow the family to see how they can leverage their strengths to get past the struggles.
Increase understanding of how personal actions affect the family
Individual actions and events can affect everyone else due to the relational structure of the family. Decisions one person makes can have a domino effect for others within the family. Understanding how each member affects the family will help determine and clarify responsibilities for individual actions to themselves and to their family members.
Set goals and devise strategies to resolve issues
Once the family knows what the core issues are, they must have a clear set of goals for every family member and what successful resolution looks like. In most cases, this may be an on-going process, so it's even more important to set clearly defined goals so the effort doesn't drift aimlessly over time.
Ensuring the family has a proper setting for mutual growth and a basis for values and moral codes, each individual family member can thrive, make the right decisions in life, and will be able to support each other through the most difficult of times.
Join us at College of Allied Educators for a FREE COURSE PREVIEW to find out how CAE's Graduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology programme can help equip you with the critical knowledge and skill to help families and individuals through the difficult periods in their lives.
