Carers and Supporters, Advocacy

04 October, 2022

Understanding Costly Overcontrol

The back of a woman's head is seen as she stands alone and looks out a window to a clear landscape. The test "Understanding Costly Overcontrol" shows to the left.

The family information series from the Social Work team at St Patrick's Mental Health Services (SPMHS) continues with a webinar focusing on overcontrol.

Understanding Costly Overcontrol is part of our Mental Health Recovery: A Family Perspective series.

Overcontrol is often thought of as too much "self-control". It underlies a range of mental health difficulties. A common factor for people who struggle with overcontrol is a deep sense of loneliness.

This webinar explores what costly and harmful overcontrol looks like and its impact on people’s lives. Rachel Egan and Georgina Heffernan will present on the topic.

Rachel and Georgina discuss:

  • the difficulties associated with overcontrol
  • how family members can identify these difficulties
  • how families can support their loved ones.

They also talk about the treatment available in SPMHS, a novel group intervention called Group Radical Openness.

More on the family information series

More on the family information series

When supporting a loved one in mental health recovery, it can be challenging for carers and family members to find simple, practical information on mental health, support options, and self-care.

This series aims to address the kinds of questions or concerns carers and family members may have. Members of our team host diverse webinars focusing on a particular mental health concern from the perspective of the family or carers.

If you would like more information on where you can find support as a carer for someone living with mental health difficulties, visit our Carers and Supporters page or download a copy of our Carers and Supporters Information Guide.

Watch more from the series

You can watch past webinars in our family information series on a wide range of mental health topics.

See videos from the series here