When mental health challenges arise within a family it can impact all the family.

The shifting role from being cared for as a child, to taking on the caring role, means adult children in the family may take more responsibility for their parent(s) or family member with a mental health challenge.

It can be difficult for adult children to step back from the caring role and look after their own wellbeing, as well as taking the time and space to process different emotions.  Learning that it is ok to take time for you can be a slow and sometimes difficult process.  Lots of questions may arise; for example, will my loved one be ok? or, what will happen to them if I take a break or become ill?

It can also be hard to stop and take the time to look at the impact the family members mental health challenge has on your life and your family life.

Family peer support workers, using their lived experience and recovery approach, can support family members to realise that although experiences can differ for each person, they may have a lot in common and you are not alone in this journey.

Family members who reach out for support have stated that this support has helped them to become more aware of their own self-care needs.

“Knowing that there were other families like myself with lived experience has helped me understand recovery is possible for everyone, I couldn’t have gotten through this without family peer support.”

You can read about the experiences of adult children at this link which identifies a number of core themes that resonate with their stories.