Helping Loved Ones Through Mental Health Challenges
If you are aware of someone struggling with their mental health, a good starting point is to be open to having a conversation about it. While you may not be fully comfortable around the topic, inviting a discussion demonstrates that you are generally interested in their wellbeing and want to help. The more often we do so, the more comfortable we feel talking about mental health while reducing stigma around mental illness.
Try listening to the person struggling without judgement and resisting the temptation to give advice or “fix” the problem. Those with mental illness challenges generally feel disconnected, different from and isolated, so offering a space space for them to feel seen and heard is invaluable.
Validating their experiences despite not knowing exactly what they are going through lets them know you want to understand their pain. As human beings, we all understand suffering at some level, so trying our best to validate and empathize can feel most supportive.
Offering not only emotional but concrete support may be helpful. Someone experiencing mental illness may not be able to articulate their needs. Offering to help connect them to professional supports, taking them to appointments, scheduling regular visits or outings, babysitting their kids, offering to take them grocery shopping, may reduce their daily stressors while they focus on addressing their mental health needs.
Providing consistent, steady support is important even if you are feeling impatient and frustrated by their progress. Shaming and blaming rarely motivates others to make changes.
“We can’t fill others’ buckets if our own bucket is empty. While you support others, find support for yourself.”
Prioritize self care, establish healthy boundaries for yourself and give yourself permission to ensure your own needs are being met. Supporting a person experiencing mental illness is difficult, but not something you need to do alone. Help is available and there are significant resources throughout the province and online.
If someone you know is in need of urgent medical support or are in immediate danger, call 911. If someone is expressing suicidal ideation or experiencing a mental health crisis, there are several crisis lines in Manitoba equipped with trained professionals to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Suicide Crisis Help Line: 9-8-8
Clinic Crisis Line: 204-786-8686, 1-888-322-3019 or TTY 204-784-4097
Manitoba Suicide Line: 1-877-453-7170 or 1-877-HELP70
Centre of Suicide Prevention: 1-833-456-4566
Mobile Crisis Services: 204-940-1781
Youth Crisis Stabilization System: 204-949-4777, 1-888-383-2776
National Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Kids’ Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868
Manitoba Farm, Rural and Northern Support Services: 1-866-367-3276
Carol Ballen (she/her) is a Registered Social Worker offering counselling services to individuals 13+ at our Corydon Avenue location. Her practice has been built over 15 years of experience in counselling and social work. Drawing on her diverse background and expertise, she works collaboratively with clients to identify their unique strengths and resources, both internal and external, and to develop customized plans for achieving their goals. Her therapeutic approach derives from evidence-based practices including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Solution-Focused, and Trauma Informed Therapy.