Supporting an Adult Mentally Ill Family Member

Cindy Nelson has a sister with a serious mental illness. Her sister is diagnosed with schizophrenia and has been managing this chronic illness for about 27 years. Cindy was the primary caregiver until her sister got married 22 years ago but is still  involved in a caregiver role, as any family member is when they have a loved one with a serious and persistent mental illness. She says it's a delicate balance of being a caregiver of an adult family member and being a sister.

We discuss that and what it means to "support" a family member with a mental illness, plus dealing with caregiver burnout.

Cindy Nelson works part-time for NAMI Massachusetts and volunteers as a NAMI Family to Family Education Program teacher.

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