When someone very close to us is diagnosed with a serious illness, such as cancer, chances are we learn all we can about their diagnosis. We do this so that we can educate ourselves and learn how to best support them. The same should be true of a brain illness.
Years ago, when my loved one’s psychiatrist told me that one of the symptoms of schizophrenia is that people don’t know they are ill – “anosognosia” – it blew my mind. Since then, I have learned quite a lot about anosognosia.
We’ve all heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. However, a family member living in support of a loved one with a mental health condition often faces another form of stress disorder – compassion fatigue. This is also referred to as “Secondary Traumatic Stress,” or STS.