Resources for Families & Friends
Learning that a family member or friend is experiencing psychosis can be frightening and overwhelming. Here is some information to help you feel more informed and empowered to seek help.
Connecting to care
If someone you care about is experiencing psychosis and want to get them connected to care call our Statewide Referral line for Early Psychosis at (203) 200-0140. One of our 5 Early Detection Assessment Coordinators (EDACs) will help screen for psychosis and connect eligible individuals to care.
What is psychosis?
STEP Family Tip Sheets
Understanding the Basics about Early Psychosis
Common Stages of Adjustment for Family Members
It is distressing to learn that someone close to you is experiencing psychosis. You may experience a variety of emotions, including shock, confusion, bewilderment, and guilt. There is no right or wrong way to feel, and you should not feel disloyal or uncaring for any of the thoughts or feelings you are having. It is common for families and friends to go through the following stages: As you realize something serious is happening to your loved one, you may feel worried or frightened.
As the problem worsens, you may realize you can’t manage it yourself and seek help.
You’ll probably have lots of questions, all of which are normal: What caused this? How do you treat it? What can I do to help? What should we tell people? Should we have sought help sooner? Could it happen again?
As the person begins to recover, you will be relieved. You may understand the illness more and start to feel hopeful about the future.
Meeting your loved one’s needs for independence and care is a balancing act. As he or she starts to reintegrate back into daily life, you may find yourself nervously watching for signs of relapse, and you may be try to shield your loved one from anything that might cause a relapse.
With a return to normalcy, you may speak with your loved one about psychosis, how it affected everyone involved, and how to help each other in the future.
Families, partners and friends need time to understand and accept what has happened. Don’t keep things bottled up. Talking with family members, friends, or professionals is very helpful.
Slides
Strategies for Supporting Young Individuals with Early Psychosis
Support for Families/Caregivers
You may also need support yourself to sort out your feelings and adjust to all that has happened. The STEP Learning Collaboratives' family workshops, along with these support agencies can help: