Being a person suffering from a severe mental illness, I am extremely empathetic to others with the same plight. My heart breaks for them because I know how hard it can be. The struggle with the disease itself, plus the stigma on top of it is incapacitating, even for the strongest of us. So I try to help, even though I'm not 100% myself.
I offer support by listening and being there. I offer my home; a roof and food. I help brainstorm ideas on how to get better and what's the right path. I show empathy and offer advice. While doing that though, the conversations start going in circles. No progress gets made. The suspicion of the person I'm trying to help is heightened, and suddenly, I've gone from the concerned friend to the scapegoat. For EVERYTHING. I'm verbally attacked and blamed, accused of being responsible for all that has gone wrong. The dynamic of the relationship spins out of control until I'm no longer helping but in need of help myself.
There is only so much someone can do to help someone from experience alone. We need to realize that there is a reason medical professionals go to school for years on end. When advice from experience falls on deaf ears, it's imperative, for your own health, that you take a step back and call in the big guns. Let the professionals do their job and support from a distance.
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