Grief affects us all at some point in our lives, but for unpaid carers who have dedicated their energy and resources to looking after someone with a long-term illness, the passing of their loved one carries a unique weight. This article by carer activist Matthew McKenzie delves into the ways unpaid carers can cope with this profound sense of loss, exploring the emotional depths of grief and offering practical advice on navigating these difficult waters.
Continue readingThis blog post and video is by carer activist Matthew McKenzie doing his bit to raise awareness of grief and wellbeing.
To watch the 2 minute video please click below.
Grief can be an overwhelming and isolating experience, touching all aspects of a person’s life. In recognition of this, the UK observes National Grief Awareness Week from December 2nd to December 8th each year.
Continue reading
Just to note this particular blog can be triggering and not just for those suffering mental ill health needs, but also for families and carers.
As you can tell by the title of this particular blog post, this centres on the devastating experiences which mental ill health can cause to families and loved once.
There are some families that do not often get a chance to share their experiences when something tragic has happened to the person they are trying to support or care, although I know full well that this can also happen two close friends, relatives and perhaps even a neighbour.
As a care of myself I know in the back of my mind that there will a time when I will have to fight a mental health crisis for the person I support. Perhaps I will succeed, but I know out there carers up and down the country will have to deal with the devastating experiences when a loved one by finally succumbs to mental ill health.
I’m afraid I’m not going to pull any punches, when I mean succumb to mental ill health. I am talking about suicides, deaths due to addiction (alcohol or drug related), death Due to an accumulation of medication side effects causing massive strain on physical health. I am talking when the mental health sufferer cannot cope anymore with dementia, Parkinson’s or degenerative illnesses affecting the brain.
I am not going to use this blog post to lay blame at anyone’s door. However I just would like to raise the issue that’s such experiences need to be highlighted and discussed. We should never expect families and mental health sufferers to just cope and get on with it.
Coping with death
It is never easy to try and deal the situation when someone loses a loved one two mental illness. Unpaid Carers and families can often blame themselves as if they feel they have not done enough to save the loved one’s life. Some people think mental illness can only affect the one person who has been diagnosed with the condition.
In some ways this is possible, but not often the reality. We should try to avoid putting people in boxes. When death strikes a family due to mental ill health, i’m sure that grief, depression and anxiety will affect those that was close to the patient or service user. If you were a carer caring for someone long-term suffering from mental health, the grief stricken experiences will climb to unsustainable levels.
As unpaid carers it is important to respectively raise the awareness of coping with death, especially if you have been a long time carer. We all need to work together with the health services and our loved ones to avoid situations where patients might end up being failed by the system.
If anything off this post has affected you please call Samaritans on
116 123 (UK)
116 123 (ROI)
Thanks for reading.
A Caring Mind 