One of the most frequent questions I get is surrounding how to support a loved one with mental illness.

It's one of the reasons I talked about schizophrenia a couple weeks ago, and if you haven't

listened to that episode, please go check it out.

Supporting a family member with a chronic mental illness requires understanding, patients, and consistent effort.

Today I'm going to provide you with a few tips to get you started on this journey.

Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist. I'm your host Dr. Monica Johnson. Every week on

this show I'll help you face life challenges with evidence-based approaches, a

sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

The first tip may seem obvious, but you want to increase your knowledge

of their specific mental health condition.

Chronic mental illnesses are long-term conditions

that can affect a person's thinking, feeling, behavior,

and ability to relate to others.

Common examples include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder,

major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders.

Understanding the specific illness, your family member member or close loved one is facing is the first step in providing effective support.

So how do you go about learning about the illness?

Well, you want to do a little bit of research.

Read books, articles, and reliable online resources

about the specific mental illness.

Please primarily rely on verifiable sources when you're doing this kind of research.

While you may find personal accounts of mental illness online, you do not want this to be the basis of your research.

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