Supporting Someone with a Mental Health Condition

As you may be aware, support from family members and loved ones is critical in assisting those with mental health conditions. However, it can be challenging to know where to get started.

You want to offer your assistance, but you also don’t want to damage your relationship. In order to help with recovery, you also have to be patient.  

Below we are going to provide some advice on how you can support someone that may be suffering from a mental health condition.

Want to learn more? Then keep on reading.

Do your research

One of the most important things to do when it comes to assisting a loved one with a mental health condition is to make sure that you understand everything about it. It’s challenging to offer support when you don’t know how they are feeling.

There are plenty of resources online that can help you get started. However, you should still keep an open mind. Just because someone suffers from a condition doesn’t mean they will have all the listed symptoms.

Listen carefully

While you may want to jump right into talking and offering help, sometimes the best place to start is to listen. Find a space, and set aside time where you can freely communicate without distractions.

Remember to take breaks when needed and try to let them finish what they need to say before you interrupt. They should lead and set the pace.

Ask open-ended questions

When it is time to offer advice on their situation, it’s advised that you ask open-ended questions. This allows them to provide a broad range of answers, and you won’t cut them short.

For instance, you might ask, “How do you feel about that?” instead of “Are you feeling sad?”. Just make sure that you don’t ask too many questions unless they are willing.

Provide support contacts

Once you’ve reached a point where you and your loved one are communicating comfortably, you may help them with finding local contacts to other forms of assistance.

Whether it be a support group or someone like these Trusted Psychologists in Dubai, there are plenty of options out there available to assist them.

Respect limits

Lastly, and one of the most important things to remember is that you have to respect limits. When someone is opening up to you about something they are struggling with, you have to understand their boundaries.

If you push too hard or try and interfere, it could end up backfiring. You may end up hurting your connection and, even worse, ruin your friendship.

Final words

While it might be hard to know what to do when you’re supporting someone, by following the above, you can start the process of helping them on their recovery journey. 

If you’re still not sure where to begin, just remember to take things slowly and offer a shoulder to lean on. While it may seem like you are powerless to help, just being present can make a big difference.