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Eilenburg: Self-help group offers valuable support for relatives
In northern Saxony, a self-help group in Eilenburg offers support for relatives of mentally ill people. Meetings promote exchange and relief.
Eilenburg: Self-help group offers valuable support for relatives
In Eilenburg, support for relatives of mentally ill people is gaining momentum. Anja K., a committed mother, recently took part in an event organized by the Bavarian regional association for relatives of mentally ill people. Her personal experiences are as haunting as they are instructive: everyday life with her son, who suffers from severe mental illness, is characterized by unpredictability and challenges that can hardly be put into words. A group of relatives has been meeting for two years to talk about their experiences and support each other. LVZ reports that Anja K.'s son has had a rocky path, from homelessness and drug addiction to assisted living and a return to the job market, before he fell into psychosis again.
Reinhard Stretcher, an experienced qualified psychologist from Leipzig, also addresses this area of tension. He founded a self-help group in northern Saxony to offer relatives of mentally ill people a valuable point of contact. The group in Eilenburg has already held two meetings and the next one is being planned. Stretcher emphasizes that two thirds of the support for mentally ill people is provided by their relatives, often without them asking for help themselves. The founding of this group is part of a Saxony-wide project that was created in cooperation with AOK Plus and the Weg e.V. association. The aim is to create a family structure in all districts and independent cities.
Regular meetings in the multi-generational house
The meetings take place in the multi-generational house in Eilenburg, which provides the rooms easily. Around ten interested people were present at the first information meeting in June, and four people came together at the first group meeting in August. This self-help group offers relatives a safe space for exchange, information and urgently needed support. Gesund.bund could add that Such groups are particularly important because they offer an outlet for the concerns and needs of relatives.
The topics of the meetings are complex: from dealing with psychotic patients to the challenges of aggression and withdrawal. The stigmatization of mental illness, which is particularly a problem in rural areas, is also addressed. For Reinhard Stretcher, public relations is a key to making the offers better known and encouraging the affected families to seek support.
In the future, regular meetings will take place once a month and are open to parents, partners and adult children of mentally ill people. The discussions within the group can be a huge relief, as the relatives often have a lot of responsibility for a long time. An example illustrates this: By participating in such self-help groups, a woman was able to rebuild a positive relationship with her seriously ill partner.
Reinhard Stretcher puts it in a nutshell: “It is important to us to give the relatives a good hand and to offer them the support they need.” The self-help group in Eilenburg is a small but important step in this direction. The common goal is clear: relatives of mentally ill people should not be left alone.