Started in 1992, World Mental Health Day serves to remind people of the struggles facing those with mental health issues, as well as reduce the stigma surrounding these issues. While many don’t like to think about it, most of us know at least one person struggling with mental health. Parents, siblings, friends, and more are all affected by mental health conditions and can often feel alone and vulnerable with no one to turn to. It’s a troubling way to live, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. Show your loved ones you care by participating in World Mental Health Day 2019 and practicing these three strategies for helping someone with a mental health condition.
Active Communication
One of the best things you can do to help someone struggling with their mental health is to practice active communication. Being willing to both reach out to and talk with people who frequently feel as if they have no one to turn to really can save lives. This is most crucial for people with depression, whose symptoms tend to cause them to isolate themselves from others.
While it can be difficult to hold an open conversation about mental health, that doesn’t have to be the focus of your conversation. Sometimes, even just a short personal interaction can be of more help than you could ever realize. The fact that you’re trying to include your loved one and remind them that there are those who care about them is what’s most important, not what you’re actually talking about. Remember to have a willingness to listen as well.
Educate Yourself
One of the most exhausting parts of living with a mental health condition is constantly needing to educate people around you about a condition. This is a significant point of stress for many people with mental health issues, draining their energy with the repetitive conversations, questions, and misunderstandings that people hearing the explanation may not actually listen to.
To show your loved one that you care, try educating yourself about their condition through mental health resources. You don’t need to be an expert on the topic, but simply having a small amount of background knowledge makes a world of difference. Not only does it make conversations that much easier for both parties, but it also shows you care enough about the other person to try understanding their condition on your own time.
Advocate and Uplift
Struggling with mental health is a constant battle. Most people already have preconceived notions of what it means to be mentally ill, and those notions are rarely positive. As your loved one’s support system, that makes it all the more important that you be there to advocate for them if they cannot or are not heard. Even just the knowledge that you would be willing to go to bat for them is often a great weight off someone’s shoulders.
The flip side to this is being willing to boost what your loved one is saying and listen to their concerns as you do this. Wanting to help is always nice, but simply charging in without thinking rarely results in a good outcome. Listen to others and uplift them instead of speaking over them.
Rose Hill Center Supports World Mental Health Day
Mental health can often be a complicated and somewhat scary thing for those who aren’t educated on the subject. Given the harsh stigma around most mental health conditions, this leads many to feel that they can’t reach out or talk to even those closest to them. It doesn’t need to be that way, however. This year, support your loved ones by practicing these three effective strategies. To learn more and to get information on various mental health treatment services, call Rose Hill Center today at 866.367.0220.
