![\"Donna](\"https:\/\/pastorbraddotblog.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/donna-hoefs.jpg\")
My wife is an amazing woman. \u00a0She has loved me at my worst. \u00a0My mental health challenges have taken a toll on her and also our children. \u00a0But, today we are more in love than ever before, and we have great relationships with our adult children. \u00a0However, my wife would tell you that she had to learn how to take care of herself emotionally when I was at my worst. \u00a0To be a caregiver long term she had to discipline herself with principles of wellness for herself.<\/p>\n
Mental Illness is like so many other diseases; it affects\u00a0the entire family and close friends as they attempt to love and care for their son, daughter, spouse or close friend who is struggling with a mental health condition. Thus, it is just as imperative for those who are the loved ones (caregivers) to apply wellness principles to themselves as they make the journey along with their family member or friend who has a mental illness.<\/p>\n
When our Fresh Hope groups meet both those who have a mental health diagnosis along with their loved ones all meet in the same group for the first half of our meetings. When we started Fresh Hope we initially only had principles of recovery (we call them tenets) for those who had a mental health diagnosis, and we discovered something significant; those who were loved ones needed wellness principles too!<\/p>\n
When loved ones don’t take good care of themselves emotionally as the care for someone who has a mental health diagnosis they can develop a mental health challenge themselves.<\/p>\n
So, here are the wellness principles for those who are the spouses, kids, sons and daughters and friends of those of us who have a mental health diagnosis:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n PRINCIPLE #1<\/strong> Juntos, tenemos entendimiento. Nos recordamos los unos a los otros del amor del Se\u00f1or, y que solamente \u00c9l puede hacer todas las cosas. \u00c9l es la Fuente de nuestra esperanza y en \u00c9l Podemos superar todas las cosas.<\/p>\n \u201cTodo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece.\u201d<\/em> Filipenses 4:13 (NVI) PRINCIPLE #2<\/strong> Juntos, nos comprometemos a hablar la verdad en amor, sanando relaciones rotas y mir\u00e1ndonos el uno al otro como el Se\u00f1or nos mira.<\/p>\n \u201cPor lo tanto, sigamos lo que contribuye a la paz y a la mutua edificaci\u00f3n.\u201d<\/em> Romanos 14:19 (RVR1995) PRINCIPLE #3<\/strong> Juntos nos va mejor que tratar de salir adelante solos. Vamos a pedirnos cuentas unos a otros para aprender, crecer y elegir empujar hacia adelante en esperanza.<\/p>\n \u201cPor eso, an\u00edmense y edif\u00edquense unos a otros, tal como lo vienen haciendo.\u201d<\/em> PRINCIPLE #4<\/strong> Juntos nos recordamos los unos a los otros que nuestra esperanza y gozo vienen del Se\u00f1or. Solamente \u00c9l puede llenar nuestras necesidades en todo aspecto de nuestras vidas.<\/p>\n \u201cFor I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you PRINCIPLE #5<\/strong> Juntos elegimos libertad por sobre el sufrimiento, y gozo en vivir por medio del auto conocimiento en acci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n \u201cWe demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God<\/em>\u00a0and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.\u201d<\/em> 2 Corintios 10:5 PRINCIPLE #6<\/strong> Juntos, compartimos en las victorias los unos de los otros y celebramos a la persona completa.<\/p>\n “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.\u201d<\/em> 2 Timoteo 1:7 My wife is an amazing woman. \u00a0She has loved me at my worst. \u00a0My mental health challenges have taken a toll on her and also…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hope-and-encouragement"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nEl reto de salud mental de mi ser querido tambi\u00e9n me ha dejado sinti\u00e9ndome impotente y sin esperanza. Por lo tanto, elijo la ayuda de otros para aprender acerca del trastorno y elegir l\u00edmites saludables para mi mismo.<\/p>\n
\n_________<\/p>\n
\nNo siempre he respondido a la situaci\u00f3n de salud mental de mi ser querido en maneras que fueran buenas para la relaci\u00f3n. Por lo tanto, elijo aprender mejores maneras de comunicarme con, apoyar y animar a mi ser querido.<\/p>\n
\n_________<\/p>\n
\nAt times I don\u2019t understand my loved one and can allow them to either wallow in their excuses or push them too hard. Therefore I choose to learn healthy, appropriate ways to contribute to my loved one\u2019s recovery.<\/p>\n
\n1 Tesalonicenses 5:11 (NIV)
\n________<\/p>\n
\nHay momentos en los que yo tambi\u00e9n me siento sin esperanza, permitiendo que las acciones y la recuperaci\u00f3n de mi ser querido definan mi felicidad. Por lo tanto, elijo vivir con l\u00edmites emocionales saludables, y elijo mi propio gozo a pesar de los altos y bajos de mi ser querido.<\/p>\n
\nand not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.\u201d Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
\n__________<\/p>\n
\nYo tambi\u00e9n he sido parte del ciclo disfuncional de vivir, ya sea pensando que yo ten\u00eda todas las respuestas o pensando que el problema no me pertenec\u00eda a m\u00ed. Por lo tanto, elijo someterme a m\u00ed mismo a aprender nuevos comportamientos y a tomar responsabilidad por mi propio vivir saludable y balanceado.<\/p>\n
\n__________<\/p>\n
\nAt times, I have viewed myself as a victim of my loved one\u2019s behavior and disorder, living in resentment, anger, unforgiveness, or self-pity. Therefore, I choose to separate the disorder from the person I love, forgive and let go of the past, and live as a contributor to successful recovery.<\/p>\n
\n__________<\/p>\nAre you a loved one? \u00a0What have you found is important for you to do in order to stay emotionally healthy as you care for your spouse\/son\/daughter\/parent\/friend who has a mental health diagnosis?<\/em><\/h3>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"