Mental Health Problems

If you know someone who suffers from a mental health problem this is not uncommon or abnormal. A mental health problem will affect how people think and feel. One minute they might be happy, the next minute sad. But, like any other illness it can be treated with expert help. There are many kinds of mental health problems, like anxiety, depression, stress or schizophrenia.

Sometimes just talking to other young carers can be useful and a weight of your mind.

When Omar was 15 his mum who was always happy and positive, started to become anxious and depressed. As Alex’s parents are not together he found himself having to look after his mum every day before and after school. Sometimes he missed school because he was scared to leave her alone.  Looking after his mother was not easy and affected his own life. Fortunately, Harrow Carers offers help and support to anyone who finds themselves caring for someone with a mental health problem, illness or disorder.

Depression

It’s normal to feel sad or stressed sometimes, especially if you have something in your life that worries you a lot.

For some people, the sad feelings take over so much that they can’t get on with their everyday lives and everything feels hopeless.

They can feel like hurting themselves. They can feel tired all of the time or have trouble sleeping. Or they might find little things cause lots of worry. These are all signs of depression.

Depression can be something that is with a person all of the time or that comes and goes in “cycles”. Doctors can give people medicines that help. Many people find it helps to talk to a counsellor or a therapist. If you look after someone, the stress and worry can lead to you feeling depressed.

If this happens, it is important to talk to someone.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of fear and worries. We all get anxious when new or strange things happen, but some people find that anxiety can make it hard to live their everyday lives. Someone who is suffering from anxiety might get stressed by very small problems. They might feel worried about doing new or different things.

Some people suffer from “panic attacks”. This is when the anxiety suddenly feels too much to cope with. When we are scared, our bodies release a chemical called “adrenaline” which makes our hearts beat faster, and can make us feel hot, sweaty and very sensitive to noise and light. When someone has a panic attack, their body releases lots of adrenaline. This can be very frightening, but panic attacks are not dangerous and will go away after a while.

They don’t like me leaving them alone

Sometimes the person you look after might ask you to stay with them when you want to go out. It can be hard to say no, especially if you are worried that they might not be safe by themselves.

• You cannot be with someone 24 hours a day.
• The best way to keep someone safe is for them to get help from their doctor, nurse or a social worker).
• Agree with them how long you will be out. In return, they must agree that they will keep themselves safe while you are gone.
• Write them a list of people they could call in an emergency or things they could do to cope if they feel stressed.
• Start by staying out for a short time that they can cope with. Build up towards staying out for a longer time bit by bit.

Drugs and Alcohol problems

Lots of people drink alcohol or miss-use illegal drugs or medicines to change the way they feel. Some people have a problem with drink or drugs which means

• They can’t stop using drink or drugs.
• They act in a strange or scary way when they have used alcohol or drugs.
• They need looking after when they use alcohol or drugs.

If you live in a home where drinking or drug-use is a secret from people outside the home, it can feel like:

• You are not sure what’s going on.
• You don’t know who to trust.
• You have lots of different feelings about what’s happening.

Your family can feel that way because:

• Adults and children can be scared about what will happen if they look for help.
• People in the family don’t always keep their promises or do what they say they will do.
• There are so many difficult feelings about the drinking or drug-use that it seems easier to pretend everything is okay.

EMAIL: youngcarers@harrowcarers.org

Tel: 020 8868 5224