Chances are if you ask someone dealing with a mental illness “How can I best help you” or “Do you need anything?” they’ll respond and tell you they are fine and they don’t really need you to do anything for them. However, they just may not even know what they need themselves or might not want to be a bother to you. You can still show up, be there for your loved ones and play an active role in their life during their hard times. Even the smallest thing you do can end up making a huge difference in your loved ones life!
- Educate yourself
- Google is your friend! Take the time out to research and learn as much as possible about the condition your loved one is struggling with. Doing this will give you insight and equip you with knowledge on the condition. Furthermore, it will give you a better understanding of what your loved one is currently going through and show them that you care about them enough to try and understand. This will help you become aware of what they need and you can lend support accordingly.
- Provide emotional support
- It’s not always easy for someone struggling with mental illness to share what they’re doing through, especially with such a huge stigma surrounding the topic. To ease this burden on them, tell your loved ones you are there for them and then show up with open ears that are willing to listen to them without any judgements. Doing something as small as this for them will make them feel less alone and ashamed.
- Help them with small things around the house
- Sometimes when someone is struggling with a mental illness, such as depression, one of the symptoms can manifest as not keeping up with maintenance around the house. Simple things such as taking out the trash, washing the dishes, doing laundry, and cleaning the house can be overwhelming for them. It sucks, because viewing their house in such a state can make them feel worse by making them feel like a failure for not being able to accomplish such simple tasks. Cluttered environments don’t have the best effect on mental health. This is where you come in! You can help by helping them wash their dishes, clean their room, or even by throwing their laundry in the wash.
- Bring them food
- If you notice your loved ones fridge is empty, you can drop off a meal, get it delivered for them, take them grocery shopping or ask them to write you a list of ingredients they would like. Many struggling with mental health tend to isolate themselves from others, to take it one step further, you can also cook dinner together. This way not only are you helping them make sure they get some food in their system, but you’re also serving as a healthy distraction from their daily struggles.
- Put on a comedy
- Putting on a comedy can serve as a wonderful therapeutic distraction when going through a rough patch. It’s a good way to put everything someone is dealing with in the back of their mind, even just for an hour or two! When your loved one doesn’t even feel like smiling, you can induce some chuckles or even laughter by putting on a funny movie.
- Take them outdoors
- If your loved one hasn’t left the house for days, a good idea would be to get them outdoors! Offer to go on a walk or on a picnic. You can even just try to get them to sit outside in the backyard, if you have one. Nature and sunlight can do wonders for mental health.
- Encourage them to seek help
- Looking for a therapist and making an appointment could seem nerve wracking to your loved one, even if they know it could help. You can offer to help them find a therapist that would be a good fit for them, help them set an appointment and offer to drive them to their first appointment. Encouraging your loved one into going to their first therapy session can be one of the most helpful things you can do for them! If you want to take your support one step further, you can help them make a list of things they’d like to talk about with a therapist
- Don’t give up on them
- Having a loved one in your life dealing with a mental health condition isn’t always the easiest thing in the world. You may have tried to help them multiple times with different approaches and left unsuccessful each time. Your efforts may feel frustrating and hopeless at times, but please do not give up on them. They didn’t choose to have this mental illness, it is not their fault. There is hope.
