When Your Loved One Is in crisis

It is normal to experience emotions ranging from shock to frustration or fear when a family member is in a mental health crisis. It can be difficult to put aside your own feelings while working to defuse the situation in front of you.

It might seem that yours is the only family dealing with these challenges, but you are not alone. Even before COVID-19, nearly 44 million adults experienced mental illness each year. One in five youth ages 13-18 experiences a severe mental health condition at some point during their life.

Unfortunately, when someone living with mental illness goes into crisis, the ripple effect on the family can be particularly damaging. Caregivers to a family member with mental illness spend an average of 32 hours per week providing unpaid care to their loved one, a demanding job that can impact the well-being of the caretakers. You can read more about taking care of yourself in this NAMI article.