If you have family, friends or colleagues who live with mental illnesses, you may be unsure of how to speak to them in a respectful way. You want to show you care, but don’t know how to express your concern and not hurt the person at the same time.
Just ask…
- Can you help me understand what it’s like living with your condition?
- Is there anything you need from me or something I can do to help you?
- Can we do something together – get coffee, go for a walk or see a movie?
Just because the person has mental illness doesn’t mean he/she won’t want to do regular activities - What is your diagnosis and how do you feel about it?
- Do you need to talk?
Sometimes talking can help make things feel a little better. - What can I do to be there for you, and help you feel supported?
- How can I support you – can I listen to you, leave you alone, give you a hug?
- How has living with this condition shaped who you are today?
- How are you? You don’t seem like yourself, and I want to know how you’re really feeling because I care about you.
Find Help and More Information Regarding Mental Illness
Help is available. For additional information, visit MagellanHealth.com/MYMH.
For more information on treatment resources, contact:
National Institute of Mental Health
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help/index.shtml
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
http://www.nami.org/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/https://www.mentalhealth.gov/
Mental Health.gov
https://www.mentalhealth.gov/
Help is available. For additional information, visit MagellanHealth.com/MYMH
Read more about Mental Illness from Magellan Health Insights
It’s good to know more about helping someone with mental illnesses. Like you said, I really want to show my friend that I care, but not that I’m judging him. I like your tip about asking how I can be there to support him. That’s a great question!
I am going through very hard time in my life from all sides , and can’t find a guide line to follow on how to help myself to get over it, I had a severe change in my life on the career level that lead to a divorce & separation from my kids & since then, I fell into a great depression that left me alone , quitting all social interaction and been tho for the last 4 years in a cycle which never ends and inspite of all my attempts to overcome it all lead to failure I am lost lionley & extremely depressed any help or guidance. Thanks
If you are feeling like you are in crisis, please call 911.
We have addition mental health and mental illness information and resources available for free here: https://magellanhealth.pages.salesfusion.com/Mind-your-mental-health-employee-resource-page
I could simply say that my thoughts are killing me …I cant control myself from my negative thoughts ..I know the solution that how to overcome the problem ..the solution is I should avoid such thoughts…but its being so tough for me ..I’m getting distracted from normal life activities because of this problem ..its not that much simple …can anyone plz help me …
Help is available:
If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 immediately
If you are having suicidal thoughts, call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255
Hello, my brother is suffering from mental illness. He remember everything about his past days even years ago, everything is on balance only sometimes he fear and says to us that someone magical person is controlling him and he used to be very angry while talking to family, he speak friendly normally with friends but angrily with family. Help me? I don’t understand ?
Help is available:
If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 immediately
If he is having suicidal thoughts, call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255
I would like to interview at least 1-2 people and see how you deal with mental health also if there are any mental heath nurses or anything on here feel free to give me a e-mail aswell. So if you would like to be interviewed on this please leave a comment below with your e-mail and I will give you a message. Thank you all 🙂
Interview requests can be submitted here: https://www.magellanhealth.com/contact/media-inquiries/
Hi, i have a mental health app and i want to see your opinion on it. And if you like the idea then i was hoping if you can invest into it and make it a thing.
Also are there other mental health professionals that you know that can give their opinion as well. It would be great. Thanks.
I would like to view it if at all possible. Thank you Sean
I am the spouse of a person who has just had a mental break of some kind. It started on 10/11 at 7pm. That morning at 11am my husband received his covid 19 booster and 8 hours later he was in mental distress. He has been in the ER twice he is now on medication. The meds have slowed his manic episodes down but he is still in distress. Living in the past, feeling guilty for things he has no control over. He wants everyone to stop bulling everyone. He wants to sell our home and leave. We do not have financial issues and I thought our marriage was good. I am not able to obtain talk therapy for him as our medical provider has not been able to refer me to anyone who is taking new patients. I am at my wits end. We are not wealth but we can pay reasonable co pays. We are open to group therapy but not one has been able to assist. Please Please help me.