Positive Emotional Benefit
Positive social support (family or friends) plays an important role in one’s ability to make healthier choices. Social support means being able to access people that a person can rely upon if needed. The support of family and friends during a crisis has long been seen to have a positive emotional effect on people.

 

Positive Physical Benefit
This support also has a physical benefit as well. During stressful times, people tend to experience increased physical symptoms such as higher blood pressure and heart rates. However, the presence of friends or family members has been shown to reduce these rates among people during difficult periods.

 

Positive Motivational Benefit
Strong social support will help patients adhere to their medical regimen by reminding them to:

• Keep their medical appointments
• Take their medicines
• Get regular exercise
• Eat healthier foods
• Practice gratitude
• Reframing negative thoughts

 

Family and friends can also provide practical support, such as rides to the doctor or pharmacy, going to the supermarket with them, and offering childcare during health care visits. The encouragement of friends and co-workers can motivate people who have been ill to continue with the prescribed treatment goals post discharge and to take steps to continue learning and improving their new skills.

The individual plan of active treatment includes at least weekly family and/or support system involvement in therapy, unless there is an identified, valid reason why such a plan is not clinically appropriate or feasible. Please provide us with an individual from your family/social circle that you can count on to provide you with this additional support.

I hereby give permission to Beautiful Minds Medical, Inc, to release medical information pertinent only to my current medical condition to: