They are the people collecting your patient from the mental health unit…

They are the people dropping your client for their weekly appointment…

They are the people you speak with on the phone…

They are Carers.

Australia has over 240,00 unpaid mental health carers. Our country would grind to a halt without them. Mental health carers are the people who support their mothers and fathers, their husbands and wives, their sons and daughters, their brothers and sisters living with mental illness.

They take their loved-one to the psychiatrist, the Emergency Room and the GP, often year in year out, without anyone in the health system ever asking them “Hey, how are you? Do you need some support for you?”.

Let’s take a moment to realise how hard it is if someone close to you struggles with mental ill-health. The constant worry about their safety, the constant walking on eggshells, being mindful of the triggers that could potentially set-off a change in their mood or erratic behaviour.

The energy it takes to make sure that they take their medications and show up for their appointments. The effort it takes to organise not only your own life, but theirs as well, and you do it all – day-in-day-out, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day – because you love them and therefor you have no other choice than, to care, and do what needs to be done.

HelpingMinds helps the family and friends of people living with mental ill-health. It can take some time to understand what these people are going through and often it takes some time before a carer realises, this situation is taking its toll and maybe, just maybe, they need some support themselves.

You can learn more about the C-project in the Ballroom Foyer at the RACV Royal Pines Resort. Look-out for the green wall-display and pick-up your FREE copy of “A Practical Guide for working with Carers of People with a Mental Illness”. This guide has been developed specifically for health professionals.

HelpingMinds – www.helpingminds.org.au – (08) 9427 7100