Mental health concerns are a much less taboo topic nowadays, with people being more open about them than ever and, as a result, a record level of diagnoses of issues such as depression, stress, anxiety, and more. As such, you may well experience that a friend comes to you in their time of need, and you might wonder what you can do to help. Here, we’re going to look at 7 of the top ways you can be a better friend to someone experiencing mental health issues.
Be There To Listen
It might sound easy enough but, once you’re put in the spot of a friend opening up about their mental health issues, a lot of people can find themselves at a loss of how to respond. This isn’t due to any changed perception of their friend or the like, but simply because they don’t know what to do. The best thing that you can do is to listen, to offer them reassurance, and to make sure that they know that their feelings are valid. If you have the kind of relationship that supports it, a hug or putting a hand on theirs can give them a reassuring touch that you are there to support them. For a lot of people, opening up to you about their mental health struggles may very well be their first time talking about it, at all.
Don’t Make Assumptions
The really important part of the advice mentioned above is that it’s time to listen and to learn, not to try and apply your knowledge. For instance, people can often assume that differences in mental health are only the result of trauma or a major change. Mental health issues can come as a result of life changes, but can also build up over time. Take the time to really listen to your friend or loved one, and get to know their experiences, with the knowledge that how they experience mental health issues may not be anything like what you’re familiar with.
Offer Practical Support
If a friend or loved one is experiencing mental health issues, they might find themselves unable to deal with all of the practical responsibilities of life that they’re used to. As such, you can be there to help them if, for instance, they need something to be picked up from the store when they’re unable to go out or ask you to pass a message along. Offer to be there and to ask what they would like from you. It is true that, in the long-term, codependencies can form if you enable someone who is experiencing a mental health disorder, but if they combine this approach with getting the help they need, it can be a big assistance.
Look For Resources With Them
If you want to offer further help, then you might want to look at the professional help that your friend might be able to get. You can encourage them to talk to their doctor, but you might also want to take the time to look at websites or mental health helplines that can offer them a lot more experienced support than you’re able to give. You don’t want to frame it as pawning them off on someone else, of course. Let them know that you’re still there to support them, and they can talk to you about their experiences with these other support structures, but explain how you think they might be able to offer even better help than you alone.
Identify Points Of Danger
Mental health issues can come with a host of other potential problems that, as a loved one, you may want to keep an eye out for. One of the most common is substance abuse, which is often linked to a form of self-medication. Most people who experience addiction also experience mental illness, which has led to the rise of dual diagnosis treatment, which aims to address both issues at the same time. If your friend has been relying on alcohol, overuse of prescribed medication, or illegal drugs to help with their mental health problems, you might want to address your concerns and to let them know that there is help that they can access to stop themselves from going down a dangerous spiral.
Talk About Self-Care
Of course, aside from the assistance that you can offer, and the professional help that you might be able to help them access, a big part of getting better is learning more about self-care. Investing the time and energy into taking care of oneself is vital for everyone, but especially so when facing problems like depression and anxiety. You can talk with your friend about methods of self-care that you have learned about, or have even started to do yourself. Being able to talk frankly about the things we do to take care of ourselves can create a very healthy framework for empathy.
Know That It’s Not All On You
Perhaps most importantly, you have to understand that you are not solely responsible for the mental or emotional health of anyone else. You are not in charge of helping them get better, nor should you put yourself out there to the point that you experience mental health issues of your own. You don’t have to be available 24/7, nor do you have to have all the answers, and trying to do both can lead to major burnout. Be there, be supportive, and offer what help you’re able to, but don’t take on the job of helping a friend get better like it’s your responsibility. Know when you need to take some time for yourself and watch out for your own well-being at the same time.
With the tips above, hopefully, you should feel a little more comfortable supporting your friend, and be ready with practical advice if they’re looking for it. Everyone’s mental health journey is different, so you’re not trying to follow a script, but rather to know their options and a few different strategies to help support them.
