T And C's Support System: A Case Study

The plan of care we would recommend is expanding T and C’s support system. The first intervention we suggest is, for C talk to a college counselor weekly on her campus. The journal article “‘Listen, empower us and take action now!’: reflexive-collaborative exploration of support needs in bipolar disorder when ‘going up’ and ‘going down,’”states that “Behavioral coping strategies, such as talking to someone, are more helpful in preventing mood swings than using passive coping strategies such as drinking alcohol.” (Billsborough et al., 2014) Talking and expressing her feelings would not only help C manage her mood, but also give her a sense that someone is there for her, especially during the times she is on campus. The second intervention we suggest is, for C to join college organizations based on her interests. Her mother mentioned that she would like to become an actress, so she could potentially join a drama club. The journal article “Special Considerations in the Treatment of College Students With Bipolar Disorder” discusses how finding yourself in college could help with treatment for bipolar disorder. “Both the health care provider and student can use the culture of learning and self-discovery in the college setting to the treatment's benefit.” (Lejeune, 2011) C’s self-discovery can include doing activities she is passionate about, like acting. By joining different organizations on campus, C will create more connections and friendships based on mutual interests. This would be a good way for Camille to start meeting people on campus. Our third intervention is to “involve social services, psychiatric liaison, and pastoral care for additional and ongoing support resources.” (Gulanick & Myers, 2014) T can look at different churches, support groups, or organizations to join in the area. Churches do not only have different groups amongst each other she can join to start making friends, but they also have a pastor who is also able to listen and provide guidance. She mentioned that she was part of NAMI organization, but there are other groups such as the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. If the mother is part of more organizations, she can start to receive more support and advice. To help her get started, we would include a list of churches and DBSA support groups near her. Overall, even though this family faces challenges, there are different ways that can help them cope to strengthen them. In our debriefing discussion, we began talking as a group about our feelings that we developed …show more content…
T stated that she was left out by the other parents when she took C to the park and neglected by her own sister. Therefore, T’s neglect made us more mindful of her situation. As a group we discussed what we believe would be the most difficult aspects of living with someone with a mental illness. We came to the conclusion that safety, accountability, and always having to put someone before oneself would be the most difficult aspects. We decided on safety because we felt at any moment something could be said or done to set off a trigger. Having to think about everything you do and say would be difficult to adapt to. T discussed how she questions why her neighbors never called the police when C would become loud and violent. T is the mother, and her daughter being a minor at the time, T would be accountable for her daughter’s actions. T’s life revolves around C’s