Witnessing a loved one suffer from mental illness can be heartbreaking on its own. One may feel hopeless, devastated, and at times, frustrated.

In many cases, family and close friends hope that their loved one, dealing with some form of mental illness, will take the advice, directions, and steps imparted to them to ensure that they gain awareness of their current mental health disease. And, hopefully realizing that control and success are reachable and possible through the use of medications and mental health professional intervention. This process can appear to be confusing as an outsider, especially when medications don’t seem to work, or when therapy is shown to be unsuccessful.

The actual diagnosis of anosognosia pertains to those individuals dealing with the loss of insight or showing a lack of concern regarding their current mental health situation. The question of, What can we do when our loved one indicates and demonstrates unawareness, a lack of understanding or comprehension, and appears to have a blind spot as to their own mental illness is a difficult and heartfelt one.

Let’s talk about what this phenomenon is, and what can be done to help and support those individuals afflicted with this trying and the disheartening situation in a healthy, caring manner.

What Is Anosognosia?

Anosognosia is a term used to describe a symptom of severe mental illness in which an individual doesn’t have the ability to acknowledge or recognize their own mental illness condition. Anosognosia literally translates to, “a lack of insight”.

Without any perception of their own mental illness, many individuals afflicted with this diagnosis refuse treatment and deny intervention in the crucial steps needed for dealing with implementing care for this disorder.

No matter how necessary intervention of professional care and medications or other forms of therapy may appear to caregivers or family members, the mental processing remains aloof, therefore, denying these essential services seems like a rational decision in the minds of those individuals dealing with Anosognosia.

How Do I Know If My Loved One Is Suffering From Anosognosia?

A person that is experiencing anosognosia may show their lack of self-awareness through their words or their behavior.

Now that we have some understanding of what anosognosia is, let’s talk about what signs to look for if one is dealing with an individual suffering from this severe mental illness.

A few symptoms of anosognosia include:

• Inability to recognize their mental illness

• Inability to recognize the signs and symptoms of their mental illness

• Inability to associate the signs and symptoms of their mental illness

• Inability to understand that their mental illness is severe and requires treatment

• Refusal to take medications

• Refusal to seek any treatment or therapy

• Rationalization of symptoms with outside excuses

• Frequent disassociation and cover-up of their symptoms

While the root cause of anosognosia is still unclear, it’s often linked to a brain injury or some form of degenerative disease. Take heart in knowing that your loved one isn’t simply refusing to take part in their recovery or positive integration allowing them to understand the necessity of their care. They aren’t being stubborn, and they aren’t just in denial, they are unable to comprehend that their brains cannot process and accept the idea that their thoughts and feelings don’t align with reality.

Which Mental Illnesses Have The Highest Rates of Anosognosia?

Have you ever heard about an individual with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder refusing to take their medication? This situation, unfortunately, is often depicted in movies or tv shows, identifying these individuals as a person with severe mental illness that has gone rogue, or turned violent, and are often described as “being off their meds.” The reason is, that individuals diagnosed with Schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorder, two mental health diseases that identify actions of self-destructive behaviors when left untreated, are among the highest mental illnesses identified with anosognosia.

It is estimated that 50% of people with schizophrenia, and 40% of people with bipolar disorder suffer from anosognosia.

Anosognosia is the single most common reason individuals diagnosed with these two distinct disorders are apprehensive about seeking treatment. When these individuals try to conform to the process, they often struggle to keep up because they cannot understand the necessity of taking their medication in a timely fashion, keeping doctor’s appointments, or, any medical intervention.

How To Cope With Anosognosia As Someone On The Outside:

Understanding how to handle or deal with a loved one that is suffering from anosognosia is a total grey area. What may work for one person, may not work for another. There is a fine line, understandingly, to initiate some kind of balance toward giving the support needed and respecting the absurd reaction by the affected mentally challenged individual. Wanting an individual to improve their mental stability and seemingly “get better” is the ultimate goal. However, pushing your agenda, at times, may develop a much worse scenario of events.

So, what can you do? A suggestion would be to discuss concerns regarding their aspirations, dreams, and goals. Ask them to think about what they want in life and offer a suggestion that there are programs and persons available to assist them.

Other questions can be initiated, such as, if they are eager to start a family. Or, are they passionate about any forms of music or art, and if they would ever want to travel to another part of the world someday? It is a suggestion that one can use this as a platform to discuss the next, necessary steps. Indicate that for their needs, wants, and ideas to become a reality and to fulfill these desires, it can help to attribute consistent daily use of their prescribed medication(s), enabling them to progress towards reaching their goals.

There are noted cases where an untreated individual with severe mental illness can cause an unsafe environment for both themselves and others. A reminder would be, to speak in a calm, friendly tone. Acknowledge that you, as a friend or relative, view a situation differently than they do, outlining the differences in simple language and that it’s okay to have different opinions, but that respect and care are needed to ensure that everyone is safe.

If, however, the situation becomes unmanageable and it appears that you no longer are in control, the individual develops a stubborn or belligerent attitude and things get out of control and you realize that you are unable to help or provide assistance to your loved one, it’s encouraged to contact their primary care doctor or mental health professional, or even to another family member.

Today, it is established that help is available for the persons who are caring for an individual with a mental health disease, and reaching out for assistance for the caregiver or family member is advisable. Understand that you no longer have to bear this hardship on your own.