How does mood disorder affect the family?
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How does mood disorder affect the family?
The family responds to mood disorder based on
- the age
- developmental stage of the individual with the disorder
- the strength and coping mechanisms of the family
- the family life-cycle stage
Different ways that depression can affect a family:
- The person with the disorder becomes emotionally fragile: Those around him/her learn the “rules” to keep things “normal.” Whenever certain subjects or activities become “off limits”, they must follow to stay in good relationship. follow to stay on good terms.
- The role reverses: Children can become caregivers or emotional supporters, spouses can become parents, and friendships can become one-way relationships when depression dominates our life. Allowing these role reversals to become long-term is what accounts for the “special rules”. Family members become less able to prepare for future events and implement reliable patterns for managing basic life tasks and interests since the state of depressed family member become the top priority and final arbiter of schedules and decisions. The quickest way to control and make sense of something emotional is to take responsibility for it (whether it is accurate or healthy or not).
- The family members may experience sorrow and guilt: It can be awkward or guilt-provoking when depression has this kind of influence on others.
- Social stigma associated with depression: Social stigma, also called public stigma, refers to negative stereotypes of those with a mental health problem. These stereotypes come to define the person, mark them out as different and prevent them being seen as an individual. Unfortunately, negative attitudes and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are common. Stigma can lead to discrimination. Self-stigma occurs when a person internalizes negative stereotypes. This can cause low self-esteem, shame and hopelessness.
- Spiritual crisis in the family: Depression generates many God-questions and may generate spiritual crisis in the family.
- The family members may experience sorrow and guilt: It can be awkward or guilt-provoking when depression has this kind of influence on others.
- Social stigma associated with depression: Social stigma, also called public stigma, refers to negative stereotypes of those with a mental health problem. These stereotypes come to define the person, mark them out as different and prevent them being seen as an individual. Unfortunately, negative attitudes and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are common. Stigma can lead to discrimination. Self-stigma occurs when a person internalizes negative stereotypes. This can cause low self-esteem, shame and hopelessness.
- Spiritual crisis in the family: Depression generates many God-questions and may generate spiritual crisis in the family.
Different ways that bipolar disorder can affect a family:
- Distress: Where mood swings are mild, the family will experience many forms of distress but, over time, may adapt well enough to the demands of the illness. If episodes are more severe, the symptoms can be related to an individual’s aggression or inability to fulfill responsibilities.
- Anger: The family members may experience anger if they see the individual as malingering or manipulative. Anger can also be directed at the “helping” professionals who are unsuccessful in curing the illness “once and for all”. Anger may be directed at other family members, friends or God.
- Exhaustion: Family members often feel exhausted because of the time and energy spent on issues related to the illness. Siblings may experience jealousy if too much attention is devoted to the ill member and not enough to themselves. In general, the emotional welfare of all family members is at risk because of the ongoing stress.
- Social isolation: In severe cases of manic-depressive illness, families typically find that their social network starts shrinking. The family is often embarrassed by the varied symptoms of an ill relative whether these symptoms have to do with poor self-care skills or belligerent behavior. Visitors may feel awkward about what to say or how to help the family. Whether the shrinking of social outlets happens from within or from outside, the family still needs a social network. Support groups made up of others whose family member is similarly affected can help tremendously.
- Role change: Regardless of which family member is ill, role relationships often shift in response to the illness. Taking care of the family member with bipolar disorder may mean that there is little time, money or energy left to spend on outside relationships and activities. This can put everyone on edge. Marital stresses may increase, sibling rivalries may become more of an issue and even shifting of roles among members may take place. The rest of the family will need to become educated about the disorder to keep expectations reality-based.
Should person with mood disorder seek professional help?
- Untreated depression can be extremely debilitating to an individual, interfering with every part of life. In addition, severe depression can potentially lead to suicide if it does not receive immediate attention.
- Bipolar affective disorder is a chronic mental health condition and usually requires a long-term treatment plan involving medication as well as psychological treatment and lifestyle approaches.
- The family should encourage the person with mood disorder to seek treatment. If family member is facing treatment challenges, the person needs support and patience more than ever. Education can help both find out all the options that are available and decide whether a second opinion is needed.
- The concerned family member should be supported to take medication as prescribed. You should not assume that the person is not following the treatment plan just because she is not feeling 100% better.
- It may take time to find the right medication for mood disorder and the medication and dosage may have to be revised many times before the right medication is found.