Oberberg clinics
Berlin (ots)
Three out of four Germans know people in their environment who were or are mentally ill.[1] In contact with them there is often uncertainty: May I say something? Do you want me to say something? And if so, what?
Words can trigger a great emotional dynamic, especially in depressive people in acute phases. Well-intentioned tips or advice such as “Just get up”, “Pull yourself together” or “Others have it even worse” miss their target.
private Dr. medical Andreas Jähne, Medical Director of the Oberberg Specialist Clinic Rhein-Jura and the Oberberg Day Clinic Lörrach, explains: “It is important for relatives, friends or colleagues to have a basic understanding that mental illnesses are – sometimes serious – medical illnesses. Mental crises can Outsiders may seem abstract, but willpower is no more the way to overcome problems than a broken arm.”
Mental illnesses can be effectively treated by specialists, in most cases by psychiatrists or psychotherapists. In addition to talking to their patients, doctors can also prescribe medication depending on the case diagnosis and assess whether inpatient or semi-inpatient treatment is required.
Make concrete offers of help
Relatives, partners and friends are expected to support those affected with understanding. dr Jähne, specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy, says: “Make concrete offers of help and be patient. Those affected cannot always accept them immediately. But a general ‘contact me at any time if you need something’ is more difficult for mentally ill people to implement than the concrete offer ‘I would like to take a little walk with you this afternoon’. You can make these offers repeatedly.”
Especially in the early days of a mental illness, making an appointment with a doctor can also be a major hurdle. Here you can get help with research and preparation for the first interview.
Wanted
When dealing with mentally ill people, it helps to encourage them. It is important to rely on facts. dr Jähne gives examples: “It’s okay if you don’t dare to leave the house today. There are seven days in the week. There’s enough time to do it.” Also: “You now have a place in therapy. This is an important step. The doctors will help you.”
Help for relatives too
Friends, family members, the partner – they are all very important for the healing process of the person concerned. “This process can also be very demanding for the caregivers and sometimes beyond their own strength. If the person concerned agrees, relatives can also contact the doctor treating them and pass on information. So that everything important gets through, even if it is the patient finds it difficult to express himself or herself. In addition, it can be helpful for relatives to seek help,” explains Dr. jahne.
As a leading association of private clinics for psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, the Oberberg Group also keeps an eye on the environment of its patients in its holistic therapy approach and also offers professional help to relatives. The suffering of the relatives is often greater the closer they are to the person concerned. The offer of the Oberberg specialist clinics ranges from regular meetings with relatives, self-help groups to in-house therapeutic treatment. The group works nationwide in the metropolitan areas with cooperation partners who are familiar with the forms of therapy at the Oberberg specialist clinics: the Oberberg City Centers.
[1] Initiative New Quality of Work 2020: Open dealing with mental health https://ots.de/XuYmsa
More about private Dr. medical Andreas Jähne, Medical Director of the Oberberg Specialist Clinic Rhein-Jura: https://www.oberbergkliniken.de/unser-team/priv-doz-dr-med-andreas-jaehne
More on help for relatives of mentally ill people: https://www.oberbergkliniken.de/angehoerige
About the Oberberg Group: The Oberberg Group, headquartered in Berlin, is a clinic group founded more than 30 years ago with a large number of specialist and day clinics in the field of psychiatry, psychosomatics and psychotherapy at various locations in Germany. In the clinics of the Oberberg Group, adults, adolescents and children are treated in individual, intensive and innovative therapy settings. In addition, there is a Germany-wide network of Oberberg City Centers, corresponding therapists and self-help groups.
Press contact:
HOSCHKE & CONSORTS ([email protected]) www.oberbergkliniken.de
Original content from: Oberberg Kliniken, transmitted by news aktuell