Has someone close to you recently been diagnosed with a personality disorder?
If yes, you may be struggling to understand how you can best support them.
Although personality disorders are not spoken out as much as other mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, they are becoming increasingly diagnosed in the United States.
Fortunately, if you know someone with a personality disorder, there are lots of techniques that you can adopt to help support them with their condition.
Read on to find out more about what these are and how you can put them into practice.
Be Patient
Someone with a personality disorder is highly likely to struggle with their emotions, especially if they are yet to find the right treatment to manage their condition.
Although this can be hard to do, you must try to be as patient as possible with your relative or friend as they navigate the weeks and months following their diagnosis.
Offer Compassion
Personality disorders affect different people in different ways, but they often cause thoughts and feelings that can be extremely hard to control.
If this is the case with your loved one, then you need to try and be as compassionate as possible, even when this seems impossible. Remember why they are acting a certain way and try not to take it personally.
Don’t Judge
Although you may not understand how they are feeling or why they are acting a certain way, that doesn’t give you the right to judge them or tell them what to do.
Instead, listen and value how they feel and try to act in a kind and supportive way as this is much more likely to be well-received than criticism or judgement.
Set Boundaries
Whilst you should be caring and considerate to someone with a personality disorder, this does not mean that you should accept unkind behavior.
To avoid this from happening, it can be a good idea to set clear boundaries, both for you and your friend or family member. This way you both know what is and what is not acceptable.
Educate Yourself
If you do not know much about the different types of personality disorders, then it can be hugely beneficial to educate yourself about them. There are many online resources that you can use, as well as local support groups that you can attend.
If you are looking for support for a loved one with a personality disorder, Alta Loma sees things differently and offers a safe space where they can get the help and support they need.
Practice Self-Care
If you are guilty of focusing all your efforts on your loved one, then it is important to recognize that you need time for yourself also.
Being close to someone with a personality disorder can be emotionally draining, so you need to ensure you take the time to practice self-care each day, so that you can maintain your health and well-being, which is incredibly important to do.
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