Caring is giving goes the saying. But Caring for a Parent with a Mental Illness
is more about giving your 101 per cent. It brings a lot of responsibility and moral obligation on your shoulder. And, herein is the real litmus test of your grit!
Imagine a situation: Mom in her mid 50s and father in his late 60s and are diagnosed with mental disorders such as (NPD) Narcissistic Personality Disorder or BPD (Borderline personality disorder). BPD causes unstable moods, behaviour, and relationships. It occurs either during adolescence or early adulthood. Both disorders need total care. It’s a long and arduous path to recovery that takes its toll on both parents and those around him or her.
People with BPD face problems in controlling their emotions and thoughts. NPD is also a personality disorder. It causes in an individual a distorted self image, unstable and intense emotions. The patient is obsessed with vanity, prestige, power and personal adequacy, lacks empathy. He or she has an exaggerated sense of superiority.
The commitment to take care of mentally ill parents poses many challenges to their close family members. Caring in such a circumstance can be really nerve wrecking. The patient can be at times crafty and age and experience only adds to the complexity of the problem. In the neighbourhood, he or she is no longer the former sober and wise elderly figure. Any untoward behaviour is met with a phone to the police or of paramedics. At home they are loath to live alone and crave for company, which is difficult to come by.
The problem exacerbates with the parents refusing to see a doctor at the adjacent nursing home. The patients want some kind of a daily care by someone who can take care of their medicines and psychological needs – it can be by an expert or their sons or daughters. But the help seldom comes. Their children had to chip in, not always willingly. Willy-nilly they become the prime care giver. For the caring kids it’s a constant vigil that takes a heavy toll on them, both physically and psychologically.
Steps to proper care
If you need more information about elderly mental health care homes
, do send it to us at info@cadabamshospitals.com. Or visit Cadabam’s Hospitals. Alternatively, you reach us on our 24/7 helpline number- +91 97414 76476.