By: Stan Popovich
Do you ever wonder if somebody you know may be struggling with depression and anxiety, but you are not sure?
If so, here are some things to look for when someone you know may be having a difficult time with their mental health.
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Feeling sad and depressed on a regular basis
- Trouble concentrating
- Change in eating habits
- Talks of suicide
- Loss of interest and social withdrawal
- Lack of energy and persistent tiredness
- Feelings of guilt and regret
- Changes in their appearance and behaviors
- Increased use of drugs and alcohol
- Easily agitated and always irritable
- They seem out of touch of what is going on around them
- Their physical health starts to go downhill
- Frequent mood changes
- Unusual behavior
- Excessive fears, worries, and anxieties
One or two of these symptoms alone can’t predict a mental illness but may indicate a need for further evaluation.
What Can I Do?
If you think something is going on with someone you know or care about, then try to talk to them and encourage them to seek some kind of help if they need it. You can also talk to your doctor who can give you advice on what you can do to help the person who may be struggling with their mental health. In the meantime, you can do the following:
1. Talk to the person: Talk about what you’ve seen and why you’re worried about it.
2. Be willing to listen: Let them know that you want to learn how they feel. When they want to talk, listen carefully. But don’t give advice or opinions and don’t judge them.
3. Suggest seeking help from a professional: A health care provider is a good place to start. You also could see a mental health provider, such as a licensed counselor or psychologist. Talking with your doctor is also very important.
4. Give positive reinforcement: People with depression may judge themselves harshly and find fault with everything they do. Remind them about their positive qualities and how much they mean to you and others.
5. Offer help: A person may not be able to take care of certain tasks well. Suggest specific tasks you’d be willing to do. Also, ask if you can take on a particular task.
6. Help make their life less stressful. Creating a regular routine may help a person with depression feel more in control. Offer to make a schedule for meals, medicine, physical activity, social support and sleep, and help organize household chores.
7. Find helpful organizations: Many organizations offer support groups, counseling, and other services for mental health treatment.
8. Urge the person to take self-care steps: That includes eating healthy meals, getting the right amount of sleep and being physically active.
How To Convince A Person To Get Help
What can you do if the person you know does have a mental health issue and they refuse to get any help? If this is the case, your next step is to try to convince the individual to seek treatment.
Here are eight tips on how you can convince the person you know to get help for their fears and anxieties.
1. Be sensitive to timing and place: Approach the person when they’re in a good mood, relaxed and undistracted. Try as much as possible to keep the conversation private, friendly and relaxed. Avoid talking to someone when they are in a bad mood, tired, have tight deadlines at work or if they’re doing something important.
2. Talk to the person instead of talking at them: Nobody wants to be lectured or yelled at. The person who is struggling is scared and they need some encouragement in overcoming their fears and resistance to getting any assistance. Treat the person the way you would want to be treated if the roles were reversed.
3. Find out why the person won’t get help: Ask the person who is struggling to list the main reasons why they will not get assistance. It might take a few tries, but try to find out what is stopping the person from getting treatment for their mental health problems. Fear and frustration are huge factors for not getting help.
4. Address the fears that the person may have: Once you get the reasons why the person is hesitant to solve their problems, the next step is to find the ways to help address the concerns the individual may have. Addressing one’s fears and concerns may convince the person to take some action that will get their life back on track.
5. Provide information about the benefits of therapy: Tell them about how people experience improved mental health, coping skills, personal growth, and more overall satisfaction and fulfillment in their lives. Share success stories or testimonials from people who have benefited from therapy.
6. Emphasize that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness: Stigma can be a powerful influence, so try to gently combat stigmatized ideas by highlighting how they will feel better in the long run. Remind them that their health is more important than what other people may think.
7. Offer to help find a therapist: If they are willing to explore the idea further, offer to help them find a suitable therapist. You can assist with research and provide recommendations if they feel more comfortable with your support.
8. Offer to go with them: It can be very scary for the person to seek the services of a counselor for the first time. The fear of the unknown can be very intimidating. Offer to go with the person as they start the process of getting treatment. A person who is struggling will feel better if they have someone they trust accompanies them as they start their recovery.
The decision to seek therapy must come from the individual. No one can make them change. They alone can make that decision.
If they remain resistant, it’s important to respect their boundaries while still offering your support and understanding. In some cases, they may eventually reconsider their stance when they’re ready.
Like What You Read?
You will greatly increase your chances of finding the answers to your mental health issues if you use my book, website articles, and my blog at the same time. You can also review the rest of my website to get a better idea of how my experiences and advice can help you. Consider getting my affordable book right now at PayPal, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble by clicking on Get Stan’s Book
