ABSTRACT
There was no real recognition or empathy for the deep well of long-term emotional despair psychosis invokes in every family member. Psychosis in the family was enough to deal with. This chapter intends to let the problem-focused support group unfold in its own way and in its own time, with the classic humanistic ingredients of support, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. The long-term nature of psychosis leads to burn-out and a desire to find more effective coping strategies. We all experienced and mirrored some unconscious behaviour patterns associated with psychosis; e.g. isolation, social contraction, high levels of anxiety, paranoia and loss of sense of self. The most salient piece of learning that the group shared was that whatever the loved one in psychosis did, however crazy or deluded or abusive, we went on loving them. Psychosis in the family often propels family members into therapy, where they seek a stable relationship and positive mirroring.
