How to Help Friends and Lovers With Mental Illness

It can be depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia, or other disorder. It may be really obvious or something like a well-kept secret that has been slowly built. Mental health illnesses come in many forms and symptoms, each of which can leave a lasting impression on the patient and the closest patient. Mental disorders are also now very common. According to the World Health Organization, mental disorders affect one in four people worldwide.

Currently, about 450 million suffer from these people, and only two-thirds of this population can seek the help they need. Unfortunately, the discussion of mental health issues is because stigma still exists in most parts of the world. It should be treated like any other medical problem, but it is not. This is one of the main reasons many patients are having difficulty asking for help and neither their friends nor family can give.

How to know when a friend needs help

Therefore, it is very important to raise awareness about mental health issues, learn how to identify the signs of various disabilities in the surrounding people, and understand the best way to provide them with the support they need. .. Knowing who needs help is the hardest part here, because you don’t have to have obvious signs of mental health problems.

You should be aware of both overt and hidden symptoms of mental illness, such as withdrawal from society, increased risk of behavior, intense mood swings, and alcohol and drug abuse. If you have a good understanding of your friends, these changes are easy to understand. If you don’t see any obvious signs, but your intuition remains, just speak. Even just to maintain mental health, it’s good to check in and talk with friends from time to time.

What you can do to help your friends

If you become aware of such changes in your friends and loved ones, proceed with the utmost respect and sensitivity you can gather. If you don’t know how to read the situation, be willing to contact someone you can trust and provide support. This could be a mutual friend, someone with similar experience, or an expert. Below are the steps you can take to support a friend in need.

1. Suggest a lecture: Allow yourself and your friends time to speak without distractions. Please make sure from the beginning that this is an open and secure space and you will not be subject to any judgment.

2. Listen carefully: Communicate your feelings and problems without pressure or pressure on your friends. Opening requires a lot of encouragement and trust, and you may even be the first person they share their problems. So listen carefully and carefully, making sure your body language is friendly and open.

3. Don’t guess: If your friends feel certain things such as guilt, shame, or fear, don’t say those feelings. Such feelings are probably very real to them and feed the seriousness of their mental health problems. Do not make assumptions, jump to conclusions, diagnose problems, or suggest solutions. Keep in mind that your suggestions may make sense, but you are a friend and not a mental health expert.

4. Be neutral: Do not force it or make your friends feel that you are in an unwelcome place. Ask open-ended questions such as “How are you feeling?” It’s annoying rather than pointed out like “What do you mean because you look so low these days?” I have a question.

5. Make a plan: Exercise, meditation, dance classes, massages, attending festivals, and healthy eating are all stress-relieving activities that promote mental and overall health. Make a plan to work on such activities with your friends. They may not feel involved when you first ask, but some encouragement and the act of asking them to you may themselves improve their condition.

6. Check in regularly: One day, talking in a big way can’t magically cure a friend. You need to talk to them regularly and assure them that you are there whenever they need you. If you’re impatient or in a hurry, they can fall back into the shell, so don’t do either. Don’t do it in hopes, as you can’t guarantee improvement even if you’re there consistently for them.

7. If you need help: It is essential to get the help of a mental health disorder specialist and help your friends get the promise, take them to the doctor and support them through their recommended treatment. You can offer. Don’t force them on therapy (it’s not your place), but help them come to the decision to get help without taking control from them.

See the following articles for more information: Mental illness..

The News18 Health article was created by myUpchar.com, India’s first and largest resource for validated healthcare information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to provide all health information.