How to help a family member? My younger brother has been newly diagnosed and he will be living with me for a while. What can I do to help?

One of the best things you can do is learn as much as you can about schizophrenia so you can better understand your brother's illness and the symptoms and behaviors that he may exhibit.

If he is in ongoing treatment with a mental health professional, you may want to inquire about attending a few sessions with him as you adjust to living with each other, and also down the road when issues come up that challenge the living situation. Make sure that he is okay with this and that he understands that your goal is to help.

One of the hardest things for family members is to have and maintain appropriate expectations. Your brother's behavior and thought processes are not going to make sense to you at times. For example, if he is experiencing delusions or hallucinations, you aren't going to be able to "talk him out of them" so to speak. You can't change him or cure him, and this can be very difficult for a family member to understand and accept.

In your relationship with your brother, it is very important to work on maintaining good communication. This can be challenging, as many individuals with schizophrenia tend to withdraw from social interaction to some degree, particularly if they are paranoid. You may need to encourage (but not pressure) him to engage in family activities or other types of activities so that he does not become too isolated.

Keep the home environment as low stress as possible, and be supportive in his treatment. As with all disorders, stress can trigger symptoms or make current symptoms worse.

Also, be sure to take very good care of yourself, as his illness is going to impact your life and challeng you at times.

Many family members of mentally ill individuals find it very helpful to join a support group such as NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Their website, www.nami.org, provides information regarding support groups in your area.