When dealing with a person with a mental illness, it’s so important to avoid patronizing statements.
It’s advisable not to use threats.
Try not to shout as other voices are probably interfering. The other voices they may hear in their heads.
Criticizing will only make matters worse.
Don’t argue with the other members of your family over the best strategies. A calm atmosphere is very important.
Don’t allocate blame. Nobody is to blame.
It’s inadvisable to bait the patient into acting out wild threats, as the consequences can be tragic.
If the ill person is sitting; it’s a good idea to sit too. Hovering is threatening to him/her.
Avoid continuous eye contact and when the person is agitated and try not to touch him/her.
If possible, try to comply with his/her requests provided they are not beyond reason.
None of this is easy to do as we seldom had time to think things through, but it is worthwhile bearing in mind for future use.
