Coping with the Mental Health Problems of a Loved One

Sept. 29, 2008 - PRLog -- Join Jacqueline Foreman, host of Your Mental Health Talk Radio when she interviews author Tom Smith about his book A Balanced Life: 9 Strategies for Coping wit the Mental Health Problems of a Loved One on October 3, 2008 at 3 PM EST.  You can listen live or in archived format at www.blogtalkradio.com/yourmentalhealth.  Live listeners are encouraged to call in with questions by dialing 347-838-9159.

The ultimate goal of those with a mental disorder and the people who love them is balance: emotional, mental, spiritual, and behavioral. Yet, living with and responding to a mentally ill person often leads to the chaos of a relationship where the rules change, the dynamics are volatile, and the expectations are unanchored. In readable, down-to-earth prose, A Balanced Life teaches family and friends what they can expect from those they love who have mental health problems. It offers nine clear-cut strategies for implementing a plan to support them, including how to: - assist a loved one in developing healthy self-esteem. - accept mental illness as a fact of life. - identify early warning signs that precede a more difficult phase of the illness. - create a supportive network of family and friends. Each strategy is illustrated by inspiring stories of real people who have put the principles into practice, and is followed by key questions that probe readers to ponder their own situations. This is the guide to bringing order to chaos, providing a framework for reactions to the person who has a mental illness. It clarifies expectations and offers advice and encouragement.

Tom Smith is the founder of The Karla Smith Foundation (www.karalsmithfoundation.org)

Karla's seven-year struggle with bipolar disorder began when she was 19. It culminated with her suicide at age 26. In her memory, the Smith family continues her commitment to help other families face these challenges. The Karla Smith Foundation is an avenue to share family experiences which similarly impact thousands of others. With support groups, peer-to-peer coaching, education programs, and awareness events, the KSF helps bring balance into lives that are affected by people with mental illness or suicide of a loved one.

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Your Mental Health is a program that deals with mental health issues and illness as well as the stigmas attached to people who suffer from various forms of mental illness.