Am I a Mental Health Carer?
Does someone close to you live with mental health challenges?
Do you support someone living with mental health challenges, either emotionally, practically or financially?
Do you spend time worrying about someone with mental health challenges?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you are a mental health carer.
If you are someone primarily taking care of a family, friend or acquaintance living with mental health challenges, there’s a good chance that you are a Mental Health Carer.
Mental Health Carers are:
- The people collecting their family members or friend from the mental health unit…
- The people taking their loved ones to their weekly appointment with the psychologist or psychiatrist…
- The people who make sure their loved one has taken their medication…
- The parents, guardians, partners, siblings, children, neighbours and friends who have someone close to them living with (diagnosed or un-diagnosed) mental health challenges.
What difference does having
Carer Support
make to you
Not sure if you are a mental health carer?
If you provide regular and ongoing support to someone who has a mental health challenge.*
Here are some signs that you might be a mental health carer:
*This does not have to have a formal diagnosis
Providing Emotional Support:
You spend a lot of time listening to the person, offering reassurance, and helping them manage their emotions.
Managing Medication:
You assist in organising and reminding them to take their medications.
Advocating for Them
You help them communicate with healthcare professionals and navigate mental health services.
Monitoring Their Well-being
You keep an eye on their mental health condition and take action if their condition worsens.
Offering Practical Help
You provide practical assistance, such as managing finances or dealing with administrative tasks.
Providing a Safe Environment:
You help ensure their living environment is safe and conducive to their well-being.
Being Involved in Their Treatment:
You are involved in their treatment plans and work with mental health professionals to support their recovery.
If these activities and responsibilities resonate with you, it’s likely that you are acting as a mental health carer.
You don’t have to live with the person or be their main support to be a mental health carer. People of all ages can be carers, including children.
The person that you are supporting does not have to have a formal diagnosis.
The majority of carers are not paid – Australia has over 240,00 unpaid mental health carers.
We understand how hard it can be when someone close to you struggles with mental health challenges.
- The energy it requires to make sure that they take their medications and show up for their appointments.
- The constant worrying about their safety or the change in their mood or behaviour.
- The effort it takes to organise not only your own life, but theirs as well.
and you do it all – day-in-day-out because you love them and you feel you have no other choice but to care for them and do what needs to be done.
HelpingMinds acknowledges these feelings and is here to help support the supporters.
We offer free and confidential services to people who have a loved one living with mental health challenges.
We can help you and your family, contact us today
The Conversation Hour
Take a listen to the “What is the true cost of being a carer?” episode of the Conversation Hour podcast, which discusses the ways in which carers can utlise the lines of support that are available to them.
