Below we have compiled a list of resources recommended by caregivers for caregivers. These resources have played a role in helping caregivers learn about and navigate the illness, care for themselves, and how to support their loved one through their journey of recovery.
Training and EDUCATION
Family Recovery Journey Is a program of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada to educate families and friends and provide tools for managing the impact of psychosis on their lives.
CMHA Recovery College CMHA Recovery College, offers educational-based courses for individuals, families, and friends. These courses help people recognize and develop their own resourcefulness and awareness in order to support themselves or their loved one’s recovery journey.
Mental Health First Aid The MHFA Canada program aims to improve mental health literacy and provide the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend, or a colleague.
LEAP (Listen-Empathize-Agree-Partner) Courses are for family members or caregivers of someone who is experiencing psychosis (hallucinations and/or delusions) and isn’t aware of having a mental illness. This is an evidence based course that aims to improve or repair your relationship and help you get your loved one to recognize the signs of their condition and accept treatment.
Grief and Loss Webinars In these webinars, you'll learn how grief and mourning impacts our life physically, emotionally, cognitively, socially, and spiritually and practical ways to help navigate the wilderness of your grief day by day.
NAMI Webinars Are for people interested in learning more about mental health. Listen in to learn more about personal stories of hope and recovery, expert advice and research, and strategies for ending stigma and living well.
Sashabear Foundation Sashbear’s Expert Education Series is a series of free, online, monthly presentations with experts speaking on topics related to emotion dysregulation and family skills.
Online Educational Speakers Forum This online educational speakers forum provides family members and caregivers with the opportunity to hear doctors and other experts speak on important topics related to schizophrenia.
caregiver support groups
Schizophrenia Society of Alberta Offers online Family Support Groups that connect you with other families and caregivers whose loved ones are living with schizophrenia or related disorders.
Canadian Mental Health Association Caregiver Connections is a peer support group to help parents, partners, and caregivers of those with a mental health concern and/or addiction.
Alberta Caregivers Offers family support groups where you can have open conversations about the ups and downs of caregiving while learning about topics relevant to caregivers.
Courage to Caregivers Offers group group coaching (support groups) that includes a variety of skills that seek to build resilience and empower the mental illness caregiver as well as establish a caring community.
NAMI Family Support Group NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. Gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar experiences.
Sash Bear Family Connections Family ConnectionsTM is a peer-to-peer program offered in small groups. Groups are facilitated by trained leaders who are usually family members of someone with emotion dysregulation. Groups include discussion, videos, and skill practice.
Printable caregiver tip sheets
Finding Resources – Getting Started
Stress Reduction Plan to Build Resilience
The Caregiver Well-Being Checklist
How to communicate with health professionals
Guide for families to help promote recovery
Caregiver self care activities
How caregivers maintain their own health
books
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family–Robert Kolker The heartrending story of a mid-century American family with twelve children, six of them diagnosed with schizophrenia, that became science's great hope in the quest to understand the disease.
I Am Not Sick I Don’t Need Help–Xavier Amador A must-read guide for family members whose loved ones are battling mental illness. Read and learn as have hundreds of thousands of others...to LEAP-Listen, Empathize, Agree, and Partner-and help your patients and loved ones accept the treatment they need.
I’m Right, You’re Wrong, Now What?–Xavier Amador This book is all about becoming fluent in the language of LEAP, practicing what it takes to run that marathon to create a dialogue that leads to breaking an impasse. It requires cross-training and immersion. That is why in the pages ahead you will be immersed in LEAP and experience it being used in a wide variety of circumstances and relationships.
How to Survive Schizophrenia–Stephanie Anne Allen The author introduces you to the illness, its symptoms, and causes. Stephanie Anne Allen goes on to share her own intimate battle with the devastating mental illness. She then describes exactly what methods, tips, and guidelines she used to cope with and overcome the illness.
Inching Back to Sane: A Memoir of Mental Illness This is a non-fiction memoir of my own life as I tried many careers, went through many jobs and saw the inside of various mental hospitals and Psychiatric wards. This is a story of hope, and of new beginnings, but perhaps even more so about how we all must accept our limitations and play the hand we are dealt.
Through the Withering Storm: A Brief History of a Mental Illness-Leif Gregersen Through The Withering Storm is a book that digs deep into the real world of a person growing up and developing a severe mental disorder, namely Bipolar Disorder, also known as Manic Depression.
Rays of Hope-Schizophrenia Society of Canada This guide will provide insights into the challenges that a person recovering from schizophrenia or psychosis must face, understanding of the disorder itself, and its symptoms, treatments, services and supports. It will explore the impact of the illness on families and offer suggestions on how to cope with schizophrenia, make sense of the mental health service system and foster recovery. It is through understanding that people with schizophrenia and their families will find their path to coping and recovery.
He Came In With It: A Portrait of Motherhood and Madness–Miriam Feldman This is the story of how mental illness unspools an entire family. As Miriam fights to reclaim her son from the ruthless, invisible enemy, we are given an unflinching view into a world few could imagine. It exposes the shocking shortfalls of our mental health system, the destructive impact of stigma, shame and isolation, and, finally, the falsity of the notion of a perfect family.
The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness–Elyn R. Saks Prof Saks' story of her life with schizophrenia provides an inside look on what it's like to live with this strange and sometimes terrifying disease.
Whatever Arises, Love That: A Love Revolution–Matt Kahn An exploration of unconditional love as the most powerful force for transforming every part of your life
When Your Child Breaks Your Heart: Coping with Mental Illness–Joel Young MD & Christine Adamec Coping with Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, and the Problems that Tear Families Apart
No One Cares About Crazy People–Ron Powers New York Times-bestselling author Ron Powers offers a searching, richly researched narrative of the social history of mental illness in America paired with the deeply personal story of his two sons' battles with schizophrenia.
You Are Not Alone–Ken Duckworth The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health Advice from Experts and Wisdom from Real People and Families.
Dance Again: Grief is Healing by Nathan Peterson I wrote this book at a time in my life when I was experiencing what many of us are experiencing uncertainty, fear, and grief.
Soul Broken–Stephanie Sarazin A Guidebook for Your Journey Through Ambiguous Grief.
Hope for Caregivers–Henri Nouwen Henri Nouwen's timeless wisdom reminds us once again of the transformation that love brings, both when we allow ourselves to give love with abandon and when we allow ourselves to receive love.
Fix What You Can–Mindy Greiling Fix What You Can is a frank account of a mother who was a state legislator when her son Jim's first psychotic episode manifested itself in a delusion demanding he kill her. Her seat at the table helped her to change the policies that would have barred her from saving his life
Embracing Schizophrenia: My Story of Struggle, Strength & Resiliency- Samantha Mercanti Embracing Schizophrenia is the story of Samantha Mercanti's experience with schizophrenia. The story is light and positive but at the same time shows the difficulties Samantha experienced, and continues to experience, in her recovery and her life.
Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness–Willam Styron Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness is a memoir by American writer William Styron about his descent into depression and the triumph of recovery.
When Grief is Complicated–Dr Alan Wolfelt Wolfelt helps caregivers understand the various factors that often contribute to complicated grief.
Ben Behind His Voices–Randye Kaye Here, Kaye encourages families to stay together and find strength while accepting the reality of a loved one's illness; she illustrates, through her experiences as Ben's mother, the delicate balance between letting go and staying involved. She honors the courage of anyone who suffers with mental illness and is trying to improve his life and participate in his own recovery.
Understanding and Coping With Grief–Joanne Cacciatore Grief remains one of the great mysteries that each of us will face one day. Even when grief is expected, it can be overwhelmingly paralyzing in its power. Coping with the day-to-day pain of loss can seem impossible. And everyone copes with grief differently—there is no right way, timeline, or process guaranteed to make someone feel better, so it’s difficult to understand in others—and sometimes even in yourself.
The Untethered Soul–Michael A. Singer Whether this is your first exploration of inner space, or you’ve devoted your life to the inward journey, this book will transform your relationship with yourself and the world around you. You’ll discover what you can do to put an end to the habitual thoughts and emotions that limit your consciousness. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, author and spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization.
It’s Ok That You’re Not Ok-Megan Divine In It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine offers a profound new approach to both the experience of grief and the way we try to help others who have endured tragedy. Having experienced grief from both sides―as both a therapist and as a woman who witnessed the accidental drowning of her beloved partner―Megan writes with deep insight about the unspoken truths of loss, love, and healing. She debunks the culturally prescribed goal of returning to a normal, “happy” life, replacing it with a far healthier middle path, one that invites us to build a life alongside grief rather than seeking to overcome it.
I Can Fix This: And Other Lies I Told Myself While Parenting My Struggling Child-Kristina Kuzmic From the author of Hold On, But Don’t Hold Still, the emotionally charged and eye-opening account of a mother who navigates the cacophony of best practices and urgent advice from parenting authorities in search of a way to support her teen as he maps his own path to mental health.
Divided Minds: Twin Sisters and Their Journey Through Schizophrenia-Pamela Spiro Wagner and Carolyn S. Spiro, M.D. Told in the alternating voices of the sisters, Divided Minds is a heartbreaking account of the far reaches of madness as well as the depths of ambivalence and love between twins. It is a true and unusually frank story of identical twins with very different identities and wildly different experiences of the world around them. It is one of the most compelling histories of two such siblings in the canon of writing on mental illness.
A Beautiful Mind-Sylvia Nasar The powerful, dramatic biography of math genius John Nash, who overcame serious mental illness and schizophrenia to win the Nobel Prize.
Thrive With Schizophrenia-Kristen Stone Kristen Stone lives with, and is now thriving with, schizophrenia. Kristen wrote the book Thrive With Schizophrenia to share what she learned about the disorder from her personal experience, the experience of others, and evidence-based research.
Surviving Schizophrenia A Family Manual- E. Fuller Torrey, M.D. An indispensable guide for those afflicted by schizophrenia as well as those who care for them, Surviving Schizophrenia covers every aspect of the condition and sheds new light on an often-misunderstood illness.
The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia- Kim T. Mueser PhD, and Susan Gingerich, MSW Noted therapists Kim Mueser and Susan Gingerich deepen your understanding of the illness and cover a wide range of effective treatments. Based on decades of research and experience, they offer pragmatic suggestions for dealing with depression, psychosis, and other symptoms. They show you how to prioritize needs, resolve everyday problems, and encourage your loved one to set life goals.
The Carer’s Guide to Schizophrenia- Terence McCann, Dan Lubman and Gayelne Boardman This book will equip carers, family members and friends with the skills to support a person with schizophrenia or other psychoses. Concise language and practical problem-solving exercises throughout make this an ideal resource to easily digest and dip in and out of as needed.
Schizophrenia & Related Disorders: A Handbook for Caregivers- Nicole Drapeau Gillen As a caregiver, our journey is ever-evolving and fluid. No sooner do we get our loved one on a good path, then things take another twist and turn. This book aims to give you the fundamentals on how to help your loved one no matter where they are in their personal road to recovery.
Meaningful Recovery from Schizophrenia and Serious Mental Illness with Clozapine – Lewis A. Opler, Ph.D. This book is Dr. Lewis Opler’s story of the beginnings of clozapine, why it came to be regarded by much of the psychiatric community as a medication of last resort, and why that should no longer be the case. You’ll also read the story of Daniel’s recovery both from his perspective and that of his parents and learn how to help your practitioner use clozapine optimally to help in the journey toward living a fulfilled life after the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
When Someone You Love Has a Mental Illness – Rebecca Woolis This indispensable book about love and mental health addresses the short-term, daily problems of living with a person with mental illness, as well as long-term planning and care.
podcasts
Three Moms in the Trenches Podcast by 3 moms whom each have adult sons with schizophrenia and have written acclaimed books about it to help families, practitioners and those with SMI (serious mental illness) feel less alone...and learn.
Look Again–Mental Health Re-examined Is a groundbreaking new podcast by BCSS and supporting partners. The podcast highlights the humanity of people living with mental illness while dispelling the myths by sharing the voices of medical experts, family members, and people living with mental illness.
Inside Schizophrenia Is a captivating monthly podcast that offers a distinctive glimpse into life through the eyes of individuals grappling with schizophrenia and psychosis.
Inside Bipolar Join Gabe Howard, who lives with bipolar disorder, and Dr. Nicole Washington, a board-certified psychiatrist, as they explore the spectrum of this misunderstood illness. They tackle bipolar using real world examples, the latest research, and just enough funny to keep you intrigued.
Rising Strong Are you a midlife mom feeling the weight of stress, burnout, and life's constant changes? Join me, Lisa Boehm, as we explore practical coping strategies and expert insights to help you manage stress, achieve a better work-life balance, navigate grief, and build resilience, so you can lead a healthier, more balanced life.
Insidewink Share the Good Podcast Insidewink is a podcast that encourages kinder living, reveals silver linings, sees the world’s perpetual generosity, and explores new and unconventional ideas to make the world a better place.
Everyone Comes From Somewhere The overarching theme of the podcast is an exploration of people's diverse experiences and backgrounds, emphasizing the idea that everyone has a unique story to tell. The podcast is a celebration of human connection and the amazing stories that emerge from different walks of life.
The One You Feed Embark on a transformative journey with "The One You Feed" podcast, hosted by Eric Zimmer. Drawing wisdom from the old parable of the two wolves within us, this show explores growth and well-being.
The Mel Robbins Podcast In the Mel Robbins Podcast, Mel gets more personal than ever, welcoming you into her life and taking you behind the scenes in real time. Every episode is packed with deeply relatable topics, tactical advice, hilarious screwups, compelling conversations, and the tools and inspiration you need to create a better life.
Dear Gabby Dear Gabby is a weekly show where #1 New York Times bestselling author and international speaker, Gabby Bernstein, offers up real-time coaching, straight talk and BIG LOVE.
It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine Life is full of difficult things, from tiny everyday disappointments to life-altering events. Everyone’s at least a little bit Not OK, something grief expert and psychotherapist Megan Devine knows from the inside out. In wide ranging, insightful, deep conversations, Megan talks with people about their often invisible losses - and what they’ve learned about being seen and supported in difficult times.
The Language of Love Podcast Language of Love is a weekly podcast where Dr. Berman shares her compassionate, humorous, and no-nonsense advice: answering listener questions and interviewing thought leaders and experts on relevant topics. Dr. Berman is ready to help you create the fulfilling and passionate love life you deserve, regardless of your relationship status, gender, or sexual orientation.
Breakdown Podcast Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown is a quirky, informative, and interactive podcast breaking down the myths and misunderstandings about mental health and emotional well-being.
Giving Voice to Depression Giving Voice to Depression was founded to start discussions that reduce stigma and promote understanding. We look at depression from many angles.
Anosognosia and Psychosis: More Research is Needed on How Best to Treat People Unaware of Their Disorder In this podcast, Ms. Streiff, who as cared for a family member with anosognosia, and Dr. Rothschild discuss their articles with Dr. Julia Koretski, Digital Editor of the journal. The articles and podcast are designed to heighten awareness of the scant research on medication treatments for people with serious mental illness who also experience anosognosia.
Inside Schizophrenia Podcast - Understanding Anosognosia (Lack of Awareness) in Schizophrenia
Video’s and blog’s
Mental Health coping skills blog by Leif Gregersen Blog for those living with mental illness and those who care for them.
Schizophrenic.nyc–Michelle Hammer Michelle Hammer is a Schizophrenia Activist and spends her time passionately fighting stigma. She is an NYC native featured in the WebMD documentary Voices, which was nominated for a Tribeca X Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Michelle was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 22 after a misdiagnosis of bipolar at age 18. At 27, Michelle decided to use her artistic talents and fearless personality to do something that could benefit the mental health community.
Schizophrenichippie–Kody Green Shares his stories about his struggles and how to navigate through recovery, mental health issues, and life after incarceration. He chooses to pursue motivational speaking and mental health advocacy for schizophrenia awareness, drug recovery and second- chance opportunities because he has dealt with these struggles in his own life.
I am not sick I don’t need help-Dr. Xavier Amador Dr. Amador will talk about what it feels like to have the symptom anosognosia.
Living with Schizoaffective Disorder (Experiencing Psychosis, Paranoid Delusions and Hallucinations)Daniel is diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and several other mental illnesses. He experiences paranoid delusions in which he believes other are constantly spying on him. Daniel Shares his stories about his struggles and how to navigate through recovery
Research into Poor Insight and How to Help-Dr. Xavier Amador Learn about the #1 reason people with a serious mental illness refuse treatment (anosognosia), and (LEAP) an evidence-based approach to help family and professionals create trusting relationships.
How to help someone with mental illness accept treatment and services (Anosognosia) Dr. Xavier Amador Dr. Xavier Amador, founder of The LEAP Institute, delivering a keynote speech to the annual convention of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. In it he discusses how to use LEAP to help people with mental illness.
INTO THE LIGHT Meaningful Recovery from Psychosis This documentary discusses how to achieve Meaningful Recovery from Serious Mental Illness, and Schizophrenia with education, medication and advocacy. A message of hope and real help, the films topics include barriers to treatment, the under utilized medication, clozapine, and the importance of a supportive community.
The Soloist Based on the true story of musician Nathaniel Ayers, a classical musician with schizophrenia who faced homelessness
A Beautiful Mind An Oscar-winning film based on the true story of John Nash, a Nobel Prize winning mathematician who lived with the disorder schizophrenia.
When A Loved One Refuses Treatment (LEAP Approach) Struggling with a loved one who refuses treatment? Discover the LEAP (Listen, Empathize, Agree, Partner) approach developed by Dr. Xavier Amador. This video guides you through the key steps to building trust and cooperation, even when faced with resistance. Learn how to effectively communicate and support your loved one using proven strategies.
Surviving Schizophrenia With Stephen Stephen's story offers a unique and inspiring perspective on living with childhood-onset schizophrenia. Through his openness and dedication to raising awareness, he provides hope and support for others facing similar challenges. While schizophrenia is a lifelong condition, Stephen's journey demonstrates that with the right treatment, support, and determination, it is possible to lead a fulfilling and meaningful life.
If you have a resource you would like to suggest please contact Tanya at tbehm@schizophrenia.ab.ca
