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 Six
Practices
Take this self-test to assess your current skill level
in six key caregiving practice areas. Taking the time
to gauge your family's current strengths and limitations
will help you focus in on areas for further skill
development.
These 6 practice areas are:
- Self-Care
- Team
Work as a Family
- Focus
on Safety
- Management
of the Illness
- Connection
with the Person Behind the Illness
- Working
with the Mental Health System in Your Community
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Why do we call these "practices"?
We've chosen to use the language of "practice
areas" to fight against the habit so many
of us have of judging ourselves harshly when
we don't handle things "perfectly ".
The notion of practice suggests an ongoing
process of developing strength or skill at something.
Just as a student of music practices his scales,
or a student of yoga practices her poses, those
of us who are students of loving people with
mental illness can practice communicating, taking
care, and maintaining our own stability.
So, when you and your family are working to
improve in one of these practice areas, you
can choose to say to yourself, "it's ok,
we're just practicing!" instead of something
less helpful like "obviously, we're no
good at this, we should have mastered this by
now."
See the difference that practice makes?
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