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How can you help a friend who is struggling?
Advice that I want to give friends of those with mental health issues.
If your friend is struggling and their mental health isn’t doing great, you can feel at a loss as to what to do. I mean, technically, why should you, an untrained professional, know what to do?
Issues such as depression and anxiety and friends going through a difficult time can be hard to approach. Especially when you want to help.
Knowing how to support your friend and validate them while looking after yourself can make a massive difference in helping them in the best way possible for everyone.
These are not hard and fast rules, either but these are definitely things that I wish people had been given when dealing with me over the years.
1: Be an active listener when people tell you things. Remember, they are opening up to you. It’s OK to say ‘I don’t know what to say’ and just listen. It’s OK to say ‘thanks for telling me you feel this way’ or ‘I’m sorry.’ It’s good to ask questions. Advice might not be the right thing — we might have obstacles in our heads that you.
2: Figure out what makes people you care about panic and what anxiety looks like for them. It’s not all panic attacks — it could be changing to super quiet, a nervous tic, or running to the bathroom — whatever if you notice a sudden…
