Many people who care about someone with mental health issues will experience difficult times when that person’s mental health is poor and needs additional help. Whether this might be for someone who is not yet diagnosed with a mental illness or for someone who has a long history of mental health issues, it can be difficult to get help.

Why can it be difficult to get help?

You probably know better than most when someone you care for is getting ill and perhaps when you or they are reaching crisis point.

It is not always easy to get help. There are several reasons for this.

Some professionals will not accept information from you about your relative’s health and ask that the relative come and talk to them themselves. This can often be the case with GPs and is a misunderstanding about the rules on Confidentiality.

Sometimes the professionals may want to assess the situation themselves. This can often take time and staff are not always immediately available. If a problem situation is recognised, sometimes there are not the services to deal with the person, for instance, there is often a shortage of psychiatric beds in local hospitals.

Help for carers during a crisis

It is important when trying to get help for someone with a mental health problem in a crisis situation that you also take into consideration your own health. You will not be as effective if you also become ill.