by Celine Ruscher
As we approach the winter holiday season, and thus the end of 2025, it is essential to pause and take a moment to acknowledge what we– those with mental illnesses, and those helping them– have been through this year. It is important to remember that living with mental illness and supporting someone with mental illness are lifelong journeys.
Undoubtedly, navigating the psychiatric system for us and those we love has been challenging. We might feel disconnected from end-of-year celebrations.
However, we can try to be more in touch with the joy of being together during the holidays by recognizing the growth in our loved ones and in ourselves. Growth does not have to be spectacular. Sometimes, it is growth in being able to get out of bed to take a shower. Sometimes it is growth in learning to have a peaceful discussion with our loved one, through being mindful that they might see a situation differently due to their perspective of having a mental illness.
For my last story of the year, I want to highlight the hope that my experience as a guest speaker for the Family-to-Family program at Pathways offered. I had the pleasure of taking part in three of them, and each time I felt profoundly touched to see family members so involved not only in supporting their loved ones, but also in learning how to communicate with and behave toward them to help them grow.
When they described their loved ones, I always found a piece of me or of my peers. A community of people sharing different illnesses but having similar experiences and sharing a common language. Living with a mental illness can make you feel isolated, but the truth is that there are a lot of people in the same situation. When I share my story, I feel this warm feeling of connection. We still fear the stigma associated with our illness, but I noticed that disclosing mindfully about it can create more trust and empathy.
It was striking how families and loved ones share similarities that initially seem invisible because of the labels separating them. Family members vs. people with mental health disorders. However, both share many similarities. Both need self-care to stay grounded, set boundaries, and work on accepting the individuals in the separate designations, who are so familiar yet so different.
This gives me hope that connection does not rely on knowledge but on two intrinsically human skills. The curiosity to challenge the labels and get out of our comfort zone, and the empathy to gain some insights into others’ experiences.
In order to offer you additional support, we would like to hear back from you. We’re offering a Q & A section for caregivers. If you have specific questions or inquiries about living with mental illness, please send them to familysupport@pathwayssmi.org and we will do our best to address them in a future Notepad newsletter.