“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close.
Mental illnesses affect 19% of the adult population, 46% of teenagers and 13% of children each year. Nearly 450 million people worldwide are currently living with a mental illness, yet nearly two-thirds of people with a known mental illness never seek treatment often due to the stigma that comes along with it. Mental illness is a physical illness of the brain that causes disturbances in thinking, behavior, energy or emotion that make it difficult to cope with the ordinary demands of life.
People’s attitudes towards mental health have been more acceptable in the past decades. Celebrities and other notable athletes have come out as having mental illness in the form of anxiety and or depression. The general perception of mental illness has greatly improved largely due to the fact that it’s treatable and social media. In our society people tend to attach negative stigmas when mental health is bought up in the conversation. But when celebrities or other notable people come out and discuss their mental illnesses it opens up dialogue.
Here are some general tips on how you can support someone with mental health. Remember mental health is a condition just like high blood pressure or diabetes and should be given the same respect.
Here Are Ways To Show Support To Someone Dealing With Mental Illness:
Talk About Wellbeing
Exercise, having a healthy diet and taking a break can help protect mental health and sustain wellbeing. Talk about ways of de-stressing and ask if they find anything helpful.
Show Respect and Acceptance
By showing that you respect their feelings it removes a significant barrier to successfully coping with their illness. Having people see you as an individual and not as your illness can make the biggest difference for someone who is struggling with their mental health.
Advocate
By using your voice, it helps ensure these individuals have the same rights and opportunities as others.
Educate Yourself
The more you know the more you are able to support.
Listen Closely
Let them lead the discussion at their own pace. Don’t put pressure on them to tell you anything they aren’t ready to talk about. Talking can take a lot of trust and courage. You might be the first person they have been able to talk to about this.
Don’t Try to Diagnose or Second Guess Their Feelings
Chances are you aren’t a medical expert and, while you may be happy to talk and offer support remember that you are in no position to offer solutions. Try not to make assumptions about what is wrong or jump in too quickly.
Keep Questions Open-Ended
Say “Why don’t you tell me how you are feeling?” rather than “I can see you are feeling very low”. Try to keep your language neutral. Give the person time to answer and try not to grill them with too many questions.
Listen Carefully To What They Tell You
Repeat what they have said back to them to ensure you have understood it. You don’t have to agree with what they are saying, but by showing you understand how they feel, you are letting them know you respect their feelings.
Offer Support For Them To Seek Professional Support
Sometimes it never dawns on someone dealing with a mental illness they even have an issue. So when approaching them about seeking treatment, you should also have tips on how they can go about this. Offer to go to the dr. with them or help them talk to a friend or family member.
Know Your Limits
Ask for help or signpost if the problem is serious. If you believe they are in immediate danger or they have injuries that need medical attention, you need to take action to make sure they are safe. More details on dealing in a crisis can be found below.
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