How the right support can make a difference
Caring for someone with a mental health condition can be incredibly demanding. It can sometimes involve difficult conversations and a level of uncertainty about what happens next which can mean your own wellbeing can get lost along the way.
For one 58-year-old mum supported by North Tyneside Carers’ Centre, that pressure had become overwhelming.
Her son was receiving long-term treatment at St George’s Hospital under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act. She visited him several times a week and was committed to being there for him, but the situation was taking its toll.
Visits could involve challenging behaviour, while getting clear and consistent updates from professionals was sometimes difficult. The worry and uncertainty affected not only her own wellbeing but her wider family too.
She felt exhausted, anxious and increasingly alone.
Things began to change when she reached out to North Tyneside Carers’ Centre.
She started receiving regular one-to-one support from our Mental Health Carers Wellbeing Worker, giving her a safe and confidential space to talk openly about what she was experiencing.
Together, they explored practical ways to help her cope with the demands of her caring role. This included looking at strategies for managing stress, establishing healthy boundaries and recognising when she needed to prioritise her own wellbeing.
We also supported her with some of the practical challenges she was facing.
Communication with the hospital ward improved, helping her to receive more regular updates and feel better informed about her son’s care. She was supported to access benefits advice and encouraged to take part in wellbeing sessions and join our amazing monthly mental health carers support group.
Those monthly catch ups with other carers were particularly valuable. Being able to talk to people with similar experiences helped remind her that she wasn’t facing everything on her own.
An important part of her journey was creating her own Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP).
Her WRAP helped her think about what keeps her well, recognise signs that she may be becoming overwhelmed and identify practical strategies she can use when things become difficult.
Rather than waiting until she reached crisis point, she now had a personal toolkit she could turn to in everyday life.
Over time, these different strands of support began to make a real difference.
Today, she feels more confident, better informed and more supported. Communication with the ward is more consistent, she has strategies she can use to manage stress and difficult situations, and she is developing a network of other carers who understand some of the challenges she faces.
Most importantly, she no longer feels alone.
Every carer’s situation is different. At North Tyneside Carers’ Centre, we are here to support unpaid carers with the impact caring can have on their own lives.
For carers supporting somebody experiencing mental ill health, having someone who understands the particular pressures involved can be especially important. We are here to help carers process their situation, think about their own needs and wellbeing, and feel more confident when communicating with health and care professionals.
Sometimes support is about solving a practical problem. Sometimes it is about developing new ways to cope. And sometimes, what makes the biggest difference is simply having someone who listens and understands.
If you provide unpaid care for a family member, friend or neighbour in North Tyneside, we are here to listen, help you understand the support available and work alongside you to find what could make your caring role more manageable.
0191 2496480