Supporting Loved Ones Experiencing Mental Health Challenges
Helping those with Mental Health Problems
Often when a loved one or colleague is struggling with mental health problems, it is natural to feel overwhelmed, unsure, or even distressed. Mental illness is a significant challenge, not just for those experiencing it but also for those surrounding them. It’s important to remember that your feelings of concern, frustration, or helplessness are normal. Supporting someone through their mental health difficulties is not about having all the answers—it’s about being present, compassionate, offering help where you can, and knowing when to refer to professionals.
Managing Your Own Emotional Response
It can be emotionally taxing to experience someone you care about in distress. Here are some ways to manage your own well-being while helping:
Acknowledge Your Feelings: It’s okay to feel worried, scared, or even frustrated. As I remind all of my clients, these emotions are valid. Keep track of them and monitor these feelings daily when you know you are dealing with such a situation.
Set Boundaries: Support doesn’t mean sacrificing your own mental health to help others. Ensure that you’re not neglecting your own needs. Sometimes this can take the form of providing alternative emergency contact details to stop someone calling you in the middle of the night.
Seek Support: Talking to trusted friends, support groups, or professionals can help you cope with the challenges of supporting a loved one when you feel the emotional load is starting to become too heavy.
Practice Self-Care: Engage in activities that help you process difficult emotions and release them, such as exercise, meditation, or creative outlets. Mindfulness has been an invaluable example of this for many of my clients.
Ways to Support a Loved One
When offering support, it’s important to approach your loved one with empathy, patience, and a non-judgemental and open mind. Here are some practical ways to assist:
Listen Without Judgment
Allow them to express their thoughts and feelings without interrupting or offering immediate solutions.
Avoid dismissing their experiences or telling them to “just think positively” or “don’t let it get to you.”
Say supportive statements such as “I can see how difficult this is for you” and validate their emotions rather than rush on to trying to “fix” them.
2. Encourage Professional Help
Seeking professional support is a crucial step. Encourage them to consult a psychologist, therapist, GP, or mental health service such as in-patient care facilities where they will be assisted overnight.
Destigmatize professional intervention by reassuring them that mental health support is as vital as physical healthcare. Many clients I have seen feel a sense of shame or “weakness” by admitting to their mental health challenges. Remind them that this is not the case. Show them how seeking treatment or professional help is actually a courageous act.
3. Offer Practical Assistance
Sometimes, small tasks can feel overwhelming for someone struggling. Offer to help with appointments, daily chores, or simply being present if you have the capacity to do so.
Help research local mental health resources and services and provide them with these resources. Often, clients with depressions experience loss of energy and motivation to do even the smallest tasks that start the treatment journey. Remember they are not lazy, just severely depressed. See below for more contact details to pass on to those requiring support.
4. Check-In Regularly
Stay connected and check in on their well-being through calls, messages, or visits where you have the capacity to do so.
Show consistency to help them feel supported and less isolated. Often, when support systems pull away without any explanation or context given, it can leave the person feeling like a burden and avoid asking for help in future.
Recognizing Crisis Situations
Certain mental health symptoms may escalate into crisis situations requiring immediate action. These include:
Suicidal Thoughts or Intentions: If the person expresses suicidal thoughts, take them seriously. Ask directly about their intentions, remove access to means of self-harm, and contact emergency services or crisis hotlines where possible. It is important to not leave them alone until help arrives or they are left in the care of loved ones or professionals.
Homicidal Thoughts or Threats: If someone is threatening harm to others, this must be reported immediately to authorities or mental health professionals. Maintain your own safety at this point but notify the authorities and especially the person who may be in danger.
Psychotic Episodes: If a loved one is experiencing delusions, hallucinations, or is unable to distinguish reality, professional intervention is necessary. Again, it is crucial to maintain your own safety during these periods.
Legal Obligations and Safeguarding
In the UK, there are legal and ethical responsibilities when it comes to reporting certain mental health concerns:
Mandatory Reporting of Abuse: If you are aware of or suspect child abuse, elder abuse, or the abuse of a person with a disability, you have a legal obligation to report it to social services or the police.
Duty to Report Imminent Risk: If someone poses a serious risk to themselves or others, seeking emergency intervention is crucial. Contacting the police, crisis services, or mental health teams can prevent harm.
UK Mental Health Support Resources
If you or someone you know needs immediate support, the following resources are available:
Samaritans – 116 123 (24/7 support for anyone in distress)
Mind – 0300 123 3393 (mental health information and support)
SANEline - 0300 304 7000 for those experiencing distress or those supporting someone with distress.
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK - 0800 689 5652 for those suicidal thoughts or at a risk of harming themselves.
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) - 0800 58 58 58 for those suicidal thoughts or at a risk of harming themselves.
Papyrus HOPELINEUK - 0800 068 4141 for those suffering from mental health problems that are under the age of 35.
Switchboard - 0300 330 0630 for those suffering from mental health problems that form part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Shout – Text 'SHOUT' to 85258 (24/7 crisis text service) for those who would prefer not to talk directly but need help.
NHS Urgent Mental Health Helplines – Find your local service: www.nhs.uk/mental-health
Community Advice and Listening Line (C.A.L.L.) - 0800 132 737 (open 24/7) or text help to 81066 for those with mental health problems in Wales.
Childline (for under-19s) – 0800 1111
National Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0808 2000 247
Final Thoughts
Supporting someone with mental health difficulties can be challenging, but your presence and willingness to help can make a significant difference. While Brandon Kayat Psychology cannot offer direct consultations in the UK at the moment, I welcome any questions you may have about mental health and well-being.
Remember: You are not alone in this journey, and neither is your loved one. Seeking help is a sign of strength, and together, we can foster a culture where mental health support is accessible, understood, and free from stigma.
