Seeing someone that you love struggling with their mental health is devastating because not only do you hate seeing them in pain, you feel powerless to help them. But is that actually true? While you might not have the medical expertise to help heal your loved one, there are lots of things you could be doing to help turn things around for them.
We’ve all seen in the media how much poor mental health can affect people. Sadly, in some cases, celebrities that we all know and love haven’t been able to get the help they need. With that in mind, let’s look at some ways you can stand up and be the emotional support your loved one needs.
Don’t dismiss their feelings
It’s easy to dismiss the way someone is feeling if you’ve never been in their shoes before. That’s why it’s important to avoid shrugging off their feelings wherever possible. Mental health affects people in many different ways, from pacing the hallways out of anxiety or not wanting to be around anyone for long periods of time. In fact, take some time to look up signs that your loved one might have poor mental health so that you can take action sooner – in the right way.
No matter what kind of symptoms your loved one is experiencing, it’s important to never make them feel like the way they’re feeling is invalid. And please, never tell them to “calm down” or “cheer up” – it really doesn’t help.
Instead, take the time to try to understand where their feelings are coming from. This can be tricky, especially if they cannot understand or explain their feelings. However, showing them that you’re trying to understand will go a long way indeed.
Make them feel special
Perhaps your loved one is experiencing poor mental health because they don’t feel needed or wanted any more. Life gets busy, and sometimes we neglect to see when someone feels unseen or unheard. Make time in your schedule to make them feel special, whether it’s taking them out for a meal at their favorite restaurant or buying them something they will enjoy, it will show that you’re thinking of them. In turn, those feelings of invisibility and unwantedness will disappear and help them get back on track.
Of course, making them feel special shouldn’t only be if they’re feeling down; taking the time to show your loved ones how much you love and care for them can prevent those feelings in the first place!
Help research the best treatment
For some people, poor mental health can resolve on its own. However, for the larger part, many people need a little bit of help to tackle their feelings of stress, anxiety or depression. That’s where treatment comes in. And, while you might not be medically trained to administer that treatment, you can help research the best kind of treatment for them. This might be cognitive behavioral therapy, antidepressants, lifestyle changes or even something like ketamine therapy.
Remember that each kind of treatment will depend on the severity of their mental health, and ultimately for the most part, a Doctor can only make those decisions. However, Doctors are usually more than willing to listen to treatments that patients feel would help them the most, so doing the research is definitely worth it.
Allow them to talk
As touched upon earlier, sometimes all someone needs from you is the chance to try and explain the way they are feeling. What you might hear is a lot of information that isn’t something to cause stress – but remember everyone is different. This means that even if their reasons don’t make sense to you, it’s essential to let them talk it out.
For many people, finally letting out those thoughts and feelings is a huge weight off the shoulders. Not only that, being “that person” for your loved one will give them comfort knowing they’ve got someone to talk to.
Allowing them to talk might not be as easy as you might think, though. For many people, talking about their mental health means exposing their weaknesses, which they might find hard to do if they’re having a difficult day. The best thing you can do is let them know that when they are ready, you’re there to listen and help where you can.
Be open about your personal problems
If your loved one is struggling to open up about their mental health problems, it might be because they feel their reasoning is silly or ridiculous. You might be able to help them here!
Even if you don’t experience poor mental health, there’s a good chance that you’ve got fears or anxieties that plague you from time to time. Open up to your loved one about those fears and anxieties – no matter how small – to show them that you understand and that you want to help.
Sharing these thoughts and experiences is important in any healthy relationship, and it can also be an incredibly helpful tool for helping heal poor mental health.
Put yourself in their position
Finally, one of the best ways of helping a loved one deal with poor mental health is by putting yourself in their shoes. Try to think about what they deal with every day. Do they have children to run around after? Do they have a stressful job? Do they have a difficult relationship with their family? Any and all of these factors can contribute to poor mental health, and if you’re able to identify and understand what might be worrying them, you might just be able to help improve things for them.
Poor mental health is no joke, and when you see someone you love struggling with theirs it can be very painful. But, as you can see, there are plenty of things you can do to try and help them through this difficult phase in their life. Remember that you don’t have to resolve all of their problems, just be a support in their life to help them make the changes they need.
