Mental issues do not always come with visible symptoms, but these can significantly affect a person in a lot of ways. When your friend or a family member has mental issues, they will experience severe changes in mood, impulsive actions, and an exaggerated sense of self-worth. If left untreated, mental issues can result in feelings of helplessness and sadness.
Having mental issues can make anyone’s life challenging, which is why you should consistently show support to any friend or family member who has it. Your efforts can motivate a friend or family member to finally seek mental health treatment, making it easy for them to fully recover and finally get back on track.
Listed below are simple ways on how you can show support to a person who has mental issues:
- Learn More About The Illnesses
It’ll be hard for you to show support to a person who has mental issues if you don’t have any idea what kind of problem they are facing. Sure, mental issues can cause a person to change their behaviors and thinking patterns, but these are not the only symptoms or signs affiliated with most mental issues. Some mental issues will also cause a person to eat less or eat excessively or isolate themselves from their closest friends and family.
For you to understand why a person behaves the way they do and show support as they are going through these changes, it’s best if you spend time to learn more about mental issues. Mental issues come in different forms, and these do not simply go away when you tell the person to “get over it” – mental issues are far more serious than that.
If you already know the specific mental issue that your friends or family members are suffering from, research on it and identify its common signs and symptoms. You should also research if there are possible treatments for these mental issues and if these could have drawbacks to the patient.
- Never Assume That You Know What The Person Wants Or Needs
Researching about mental issues will help you understand what your friend or family member is going through but never assume that you fully understand what they need or want. Sure, articles online and journals about mental health will help you get a better idea of what mental issues are and how it affects a person, but don’t assume that you know the patient like the back of your hand.
Before opening up the topic of mental issues to a person, ask first if they are comfortable talking about it. Talking to a friend can help a person ease their stress, but the same might not work for a person who has mental issues.
If your friend or family member decides to talk to you about their mental issue, listen carefully to their sentiments, and allow them to share as much or as little information as they want to. Regardless of how you want to help this person, never pressure them to talk too much as this will only aggravate their condition and cause more stress.
- Help Them With Their Medical Appointments, Medications, And Treatments
Mental issues can become severe to the point where the person will have to rely on medications and treatments to help them manage symptoms and continue to stay productive. Missing a single dose will make it hard for them to think straight and, in some cases, to survive the day.
Another way to show support to a friend or family member who has mental issues is to constantly remind them of their medical appointments, medications, and other treatments. If you spend a lot of time with their person, remind them of their schedule, and make sure that they actually follow through.
Moreover, you can show support by helping this person voice out their concerns about their medications to their doctors or pharmacist. For example, if you see your friend or family member with mental issues suffer side effects from the medications given by a healthcare professional, accompany them to their appointments so you can inform their doctor.
You can also provide financial help if your friend or family member can no longer pay for their medications and treatments, or help them look for a new doctor if they don’t like the one they are seeing.
Knowledge Is Power
Mental issues can cause short and long-term mental health instability. When a person suffers from mental issues, they will experience chronic anxiety that can eventually weaken their immune system, and increase their risks to skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
To ensure that none of these happen and your friend or family member successfully combats any mental issues, use this article. The tips presented here will surely go a long way for your friend or family to live a healthy life once again!
