Moving with the family from one house to another in the same neighborhood

I really don't know how to answer that but I would suggest that the person try not to worry about it too much. Perhaps the person could consider it like an adventure or something like that. Sometimes mental preparation and planning is a good way to approach things.

Hello ajain,

I would suggest that he minimize the effect of this major life stressor, which a move to a new apartment is considered on the top ten list of stressors, by talking with his therapist if he has one, or with his friends and family.  He can ask a good friend to be a support buddy who helps him pack up his belongings and move them into the new house.  I relied on two close friends to help me pack up my books and houseware items like dishes and bowls and glasses and mugs.  This made it go much smoother and quicker than doing it on my own.

He could also make lists on index cards of the things he needs to do.  Before I moved into my new apartment on June 10 of this year, I wrote down the names of every account I needed to notify about my new address.  On one Wednesday morning on the phone, I contacted everyone I need to inform about the new address, like the credit card company, motor vehicle, life insurance and others.  If he cannot do this on his own, he should have a trusted friend or family member help him coordinate this part of the move by helping him do the research to find the phone numbers or addresses of the payees and other accounts he needs to change the address with.

To expect in advance that someone with negative symptoms will have a setback when he moves into a new house will only become a self-fulfilling prophecy, that is, he may not do so well.  Instead, if I were him, I would think positively about this move and visualize in my head a smooth transition.  He can mentally rehearse in his mind a movie in which he sees each step of the move taking place in order.  Athletes and performers have long visualized in their head their routines and performances before getting in the arena or taking the stage.   This mental rehearsal has been as effective as actual practice when they take time off from practicing.  This is because the brain believes the event is actually taking place.  So he can imagine packing up the items, loading them into the truck, getting into the car to drive to the new house, and moving in and unpacking, before he does any of this.  He can see it going well.

Most of all, his family should be there to help him with any additional challenges he might face.  Family support is one of the key factors in someone doing well in recovery, so it only stands to reason that extra family support during this challenging time will help him greatly.

Regards,

Christina