Recently, I was given the opportunity by a dear friend, Maree Dee, to guest post for her blog Embracing the Unexpected. Maree writes and leads others from a place of experience and love as she guides caretakers of loved one with mental illnesses. Her work and passion is making a difference in the lives of many.
Since I write from a patient perspective, I wanted to provide some "tough love" advice for the caretakers. At some point (disclaimer: not always possible), you have to become more of an accountability partner as you gently guide your loved one into responsibility and independent living again. As a caretaker, you cannot carry all of the load of your loved one and expect them to make progress.
Excerpt from the Guest Post:
"At some point in our lives, we find ourselves caring for someone. It may be temporary as we take care of our spouse, who has the flu. Maybe we find our days spent taking care of the everyday needs of an elderly parent. Perhaps we are caring for someone struggling with chronic physical or mental illness, and the days turn into years..." click to keep reading at Embracing the Unexpected.