Am I a carer?

A carer can be anyone of any age who provides unpaid support to someone who could not manage without their help, due to their illness, disability, frailty, mental ill-health, or substance misuse.

Anyone can become a carer. Carers come from all walks of life, all cultures and can be any age. You may be a wife, husband, parent, partner, son, friend or have any other relationship with someone who cannot manage without your support.

Mental health recovery can sometimes be complex and unpredictable there are times when being a family member, friend or carer can be challenging and stressful.

Family, friends and carers play a critical role in supporting people with their recovery, but we recognise on occasions that you might sometimes need support too.

We therefore hope that this handbook provides you with an overview of how we as an organisation and other groups and forums can enable you to access help if you need it.