Beyond Help

Today in the United States, about one in five adults aged eighteen or older live with severe mental illness (SMI). That represents more than thirteen million Americans! Of these, well over ten million rely on family members as their primary caregivers. Each member of this cohort shoulders a lonely burden, one that is often overlooked, as people are increasingly falling through the cracks of our health care system. This book seeks to shed light on the invisible struggles of family caregivers of those diagnosed with SMI. To better understand their challenges, Dr. Merlyn Josende conducted interviews with seven caregivers who were referred to them by factitious names. The interviews were designed to answer the following question: What are the lived experiences of family caregivers who support relatives with SMI? From these interviews, she identified eight themes, each of which offers a different perspective on that question. Dr. Josende shares the eight themes that describe the family caregiver s experiences: caregivers understanding, emotional reactivity, emotional connection, limited social support, treatment inclusion, collaboration in treatment, decision making, and medication management. This book is dedicated to the seven family caregivers who shared their remarkable experiences, to those who are going through the same or similar situations, to my family, friends and to all the editors and publishers that made this book possible.