Q. I have a friend whose father and sister exhibit depressive/bipolar behaviors. They are both on various sorts of medications. My concern is that they both call my friend and talk about suicide whenever they want her attention (in her father’s case) or need money (in her sister’s case). Is there some type of support group that is specifically designed to help the family members of people with psychological disorders (such as ALANON for the children of alcoholics)?
A. Yes, as a matter of fact there is such a group. The group that helps family members understand and handle their family members with psychological disorders is the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI is a national organization but also has many state and local affiliates. In many communities, NAMI runs local support groups for family members called Family-to-Family groups. Families meet up with other families (facilitated by a NAMI representative) to help each other handle their family member(s) with a mental illness. They share advice, stories, tips, and the like. Many people find this support very helpful. I encourage you to check out NAMI’s website at www.nami.org. The website contains information about their organization and links you to their local affiliates with lists of phone numbers and contact people in your area. I hope this helps. Take care.
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