Caring For Someone With A Mental Illness: Tips For Setting Healthy Boundaries

Mental illnesses are complex conditions that require professional care to treat, but that doesn’t mean that regular people can’t help. If you know someone with a mental health condition, you may have decided, like any good partner or family member, to support your loved one, come what may. But what if their issues start affecting you too? What then?

Firstly, don’t feel guilty. If you lack the training that licensed counselors and therapists have, it’s normal to be affected by another person’s mental illnesses. But if you want to be the best supporter you can be, mental health experts say that it’s important to think about setting healthy boundaries.

Supporting Someone With Mental Health Issues

Anyone with a mental illness would be able to tell you how isolating the whole experience is. That’s why you being there for a mentally ill loved one is bound to be monumental in their healing journey. 

But just because you don’t face the same challenges that they do doesn’t mean you’re immune to struggles of your own. While support outside of therapy is important for anyone struggling with a mental health condition, caregivers without the proper training may experience feelings of burnout, stress, or resentment when attempting to help their loved ones through their issues. 

For this reason, experts say that it is equally essential for you to consider your own mental health when providing care, and one of the best ways to do this is by setting distinct boundaries.

“When someone we love is struggling, it’s natural to want to help them in any way we can,” says an expert from Mission Connection, a mental health provider that offers outpatient treatments for various conditions. “You want to support them, but without clear boundaries, you can become drained emotionally, as though your own mental health is suffering.”

The Benefits of Healthy Boundaries

There are many reasons why it’s important to set boundaries. Healthy boundaries encourage clear communication about the mental and emotional limits of both parties, which will prevent conflict and improve relationships. They also promote independence; this ensures that the patient does not become overly reliant on a single person for their needs, especially when they already possess the capacity to care for themselves.

Maintaining Your Mental Health While Caring For Another’s

But what do healthy boundaries look like? It’ll be different for everyone. In your case, first consider how much support you’re able to provide, what practical help you can offer, and what to do when these limits are broken. Make sure you explain any reasoning behind these boundaries, such as family or work obligations, as this will prevent misunderstandings. 

Of course, proper timing is key, too. If your loved one is behaving irrationally or in the middle of an episode, it may be difficult to communicate boundaries to them. Wait until they calm down before you try to bring up the topic with them again - you may find that the resulting conversation is much more productive.

Finally, make sure you prioritize your physical health, seek support if needed, and adopt strategies to manage stress levels. You can’t exactly take care of someone if you’re not doing well yourself, right? But by managing your own health, you’ll be able to better provide for your loved one.

And of course, if you need support yourself, there are many licensed mental health providers out there that can help you. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them.