We tend to rely on our family and friends, and that definitely includes emotional support for difficult things. So, it makes sense when an individual is struggling with mental health challenges that would help their friend to vent.
When you see your loved ones struggling, all you want to do is everything that will help them recover. Even there are times when you need clarification about what you can do to help.
It is hard to know when all you need to do is just listen, when to say something, and what can be done. Deciding when you should bring it to an adult’s attention and how it can be done without breaking trust can take time.
Bipolar disorder and depression affect nearly 15% of the teenage population. That is, one in three is affected with anxiety issues by the time they turn 18.
As a family member or a friend, it can be hard to know how to act, what to say, and what you can do. Thus, your support trends positively impact your loved one’s mental health and well-being. You can also send flowers to boost their moods and reduce their stress level while trying to elevate their emotional well-being.
In this article, you will discover some important tips you can do to help your friend recover from a mental health issue.
How Can You Respond In A Crisis?
You can often notice people who suffer from mental health experience crises. These can be suicidal or experience their own or a different reality.
You might feel a sense of crisis, but it is important to stay calm. There are some general approaches that you can use to help.
- Ask them how you can help them.
- First, listen to them without passing any judgment.
- Can provide a signpost to practical information.
- Ask them if they wish to contact someone.
- Need to avoid confrontation.
- If you see they hurt themselves, then ensure they get the first aid.
- Encourage them to get professional help.
Seeing, believing, and hearing things that no one else does can be a major symptom of mental health issues. At times, it can be upsetting and frightening. You can gently remind the person who they are and why you are there.
It is better not to dismiss and reinforce their experience. It is better that you acknowledge how the symptoms can make them feel. Furthermore, ensure you refrain from supporting their knowledge but acknowledge how the symptoms make them feel.
Ways To Help A Friend Suffering From Mental Health Problem
Support from a friend plays a key part in helping someone who is suffering from a mental health issue.
This support offers a network of emotional and practical help. Hence, the networks can be made up of children, siblings, parents, partners, close family members, mentors, coaches, religious leaders, or a teacher.
Thus, caring for someone dealing with illness can be a challenge at times. In order to do the best, here is a list of guidelines that you can do to help your friend recover from mental health problems.
1. Be Someone They Can Trust
When you know your loved ones or your friend is suffering from mental health problems. Be someone with whom they are comfortable discussing anything.
They will feel better if you are able to openly listen to what they are going through. Therefore, when you showcase your care for them, they will willingly communicate with you about every minor issue they are going through.
If you find difficulty in talking to your friends among family members, take them somewhere in a cafe or restaurant. On the other hand, you can also stay connected with them through video calls, message applications, and phone calls.
2. Steer Away From Harmful Substance
If you find out about your friend’s consumption of any harmful substance like kava, tobacco, or alcohol, then recommend them not to.
In order to cope with the feeling, one should not consume any kind of drug that will ruin their health in the long run. Although these seem to assist them in that moment, it can make them feel worse in the upcoming days.
However, these substances are also dangerous and can place you and those around you at risk of injuries or disease.
Moreover, it is important that you show your genuine care so that you can say all the right things. During difficult times, they are in need of additional understanding and support. So be patient, compassionate, and empathetic towards them.
3. Send Them Flowers
The psychology behind sending flowers is that they help lower heart rates and cortisone levels and minimize blood pressure.
However, there is a great connection between mental health and flowers, and it is a seamless one. Similarly, there are different ways in which their surreal beauty and advantages in healing their mind.
When you visit your friend, take a few lily sticks or a flower bouquet. This will help them enhance their bad mood, elevate their mental health and emotional well-being, and reduce stress.
You can also send some chrysanthemum flowers, as they are known to be the best to boost mental health.
These are some unique-looking flowers and are readily available in the flower shop. Gifting these flowers will help your friend lessen the symptoms of stress and worry. Thus, the flower also relaxes and cools your body.
4. Simply Show Up
When someone is really struggling with mental health issues, it might be a difficult situation for you to approach at the right moment.
Similarly, it becomes challenging for your friends to remember that they have close family and friends who support and love them. Hence, it is time that you make some extra effort to remind them that you care for them.
Invite them to spend time with you, even if it is to do nothing at all. Therefore, ensure that you include them in your social activities.
Moreover, take time to spend a text or a random Facetime chat. These small efforts will help them relieve themselves from a petrified moment.
5. Know That You Are On The Right Track
It is one of the important steps in helping a friend who is suffering from a mental health issue. As you already know, your friend, approaching them will not be a big deal.
Similarly, if you observe any kind of big change in their signs or personality, then it is most evident that they are suffering from mental health problems.
Hence, this is specifically right because if your friend suffers from something stressful, such as a family problem, bullying, or a breakup. Some major signs that will indicate the person is suffering from mental health issues include:
- Being aggressive, violent, and trapped.
- Being less social than the usual days.
- Drop in interest in studies or performance at the workplace.
- Big change in sleeping and eating habits.
- Discussing about feeling hopeless and worthless.
- Talking about death.
- Doing risky things like driving very recklessly and consuming tobacco and alcohol frequently.
6. Listen More Than Talking
You might find it a little awkward in the initial days to ask about your friend’s mental health for fear of how to help. Therefore, it is more important to be a good listener than to know what would be exactly the right thing to say.
In fact, most of the time, individuals going through a rough time do not expect someone to fix it. Thus, it is vital to be heard and to be understood.
Most significantly, you can keep a non-judgemental stance and try not to cheer them up just by saying that “things will be alright.”
Even if you think you are offering good advice, it can come off as reducing their plans. If you do not know what to say, then try to say something simple.
7. Have More Concern Than Taking Responsibility
It is always good to have a concern for your friend. Therefore, your friend’s health is not your responsibility or a burden that you must hold.
Furthermore, you should also not agree to keep it a secret if the friend is thinking about harming themselves. If you are worried about their safety, you effectively take a step and talk to them, which will positively alter their mental well-being.
Therefore, you can tell them their life is precious and important to their parents and loved ones. Even if the friend gets mad at you, do not be disheartened because you are doing the right thing. This approach will help them to be safe.
You can be there as an immediate helper, but in such a critical situation, a professional therapist or doctor can give the needed help.
8. Be Sincere
It is evident that you come to know when your friend is being honest with you. It might feel right to shower your friends with love and compliments to make them feel better.
Hence, it is true to share what you appreciate and love about the friend in a great way to support them when they are feeling low.
Thus, advise them on what you think is right. Hence, say something that you actually believe you can come off as a priority. Sticking to honesty is easy; you can end up sharing things that you really feel.
9. Seek Professional Assistance
At times, just listening to your friend does not help. This is the right time to take them to a professional therapist or a doctor who can help them out.
Therefore, they can offer guidance and resources if needed to help and set them with a positive mindset.
On the other hand, if you need help figuring out where to turn, check with the employers. Some different initiatives and programs help individuals cope with stress-related issues.
Along with that, they will also get the scope to communicate about their mental health issue, addiction, depression, and anxiety-related problems.
Similarly, there are times when dealing with mental health issues can require you to take time off, which can last for months or years. The extended time can hamper your workplace productivity and monthly income.
It is always better to consider help from a professional.
10. Do Activities That They Enjoy
Try to continue doing the activities that you find the right meaning and that your friend would enjoy doing. Now, it can be either baking, going for a hike, visiting a cafe, or attending a theater show.
You can also take a short break and visit the city’s outskirts. This will help your friend relieve from the daily hustle of life and enjoy a short getaway.
Having a regular routine filled with activities tha eventually make them happy enables them to maintain a good well-being.
Common Symptoms Of Mental Illness
Most people feel low, irritable, and anxious at some point in time. It can be either at work or at home that you or your fellow member might be feeling depressed.
Here are some common symptoms that will help you identify the signs of mental health issues:
- Change in mood.
- Low mood.
- Bring irritability and anxiety.
- Finding it difficult to remember and concentrate on things.
- Sleeping less or too much than usual.
- Feeling teary.
- Need help managing everyday work. For instance, managing daily household chores.
- Becoming paranoid and suspicious.
- Having suicidal thoughts.
- Becoming withdrawn and isolated.
- Having a feeling that family members will never understand any issue.
- Getting nightmares and flashbacks after a traumatic event.
- Experiencing hallucination.
- Excessive spending of money or difficulty in handling finances.
These are some important symptoms you might find hard to cope with. But when there is the right support and help, you can take positive steps towards recovery.
Support Your Family Member With Mental Health Issues
Remember that if you believe they are in immediate danger and have injuries that need medical attention, then take urgent action.
Although certain symptoms are common with specified mental health issues, no two people behave the same way when they are unwell. With time, you will notice changes in behavior and mood if you know the person well.
Similarly, knowing what you can do if you are worried about someone can be challenging. When you can determine an issue, you are advised not to wait.
Waiting and hoping they come for help, you might need more time getting them support.
Thus, talking to someone is often the first step when you do not know they have a hard time. In this manner, you can assist them to fix their trouble and find out further what you can do.
