Is Someone You Care About Facing Mental Health Challenges?

Life can be tough. There are the daily stresses, unexpected events and relentless responsibilities that can all be challenging. At times, we can feel overwhelmed and may need a little extra support. It may surprise you to hear one in five experience a diagnosed mental health condition each year. How can you help a loved one, friend, co-worker or family member who may be going through a hard time? Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s give you a mental health first-aid kit of sorts.

Recognizing the Signs

One way to provide support is to acknowledge when someone is going through a difficult time. Here are some common signs of mental health challenges:

• Excessive worrying or fear
• Feeling extremely sad or low
• Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
• Severe mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs”
• Persistent or strong feelings of irritability or anger
• Avoiding friends and social activities
• Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
• Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
• Overuse of alcohol or drugs
• Vague and ongoing “aches and pains” without an obvious cause
• Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress

How to Approach Difficult Conversations

If you suspect that a friend or loved one might be going through a rough patch, trust your gut. Speak to them one-on-one. Start by saying how much you care, followed by your observations. You might say, “I care about you, and I’ve noticed you haven’t been yourself lately. You seem more frustrated than you’ve been in a while and I’m wondering how you’re doing.”

Tell the person you understand and it’s normal to ask for help. If it’s a child or teenager, ask them who you should talk to because you should never handle someone else’s mental health crisis on your own. If granted permission, enlist help from someone they trust, such as a parent, caregivers, older siblings, other relatives or a teacher, even a coach.

Is Your Loved One in Danger?

Some behaviors may indicate that a person is at immediate risk for suicide. Here are some warning signs:

• Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself
• Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or getting a gun
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live

If someone you care about shows these behaviors, you should call or text 988 right away or call a mental health professional. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential, 24/7 support for anyone who is thinking about suicide, concerned about a loved one or needing emotional support.

Helpful Resources

The National Alliance of Mental Illness is a nationwide grassroots organization that offers support for those with mental illness and for their friends and loved ones. They have a number of helpful support groups, including some in Prince George’s County.

Maryland Coalition of Families supports families who have loved ones with behavioral health conditions.

In addition, Luminis Health offers Pathways Family Wellness Workshop, a program that brings together family members (such as parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, or anyone else who is considered family) for an educational session, group therapy and personal growth. The program equips family members with communication skills, relapse prevention strategies and coping mechanisms for ongoing recovery.

To register for an upcoming workshop, call 443-481-5449.

Take Care of Yourself, Too

If someone you are close to is working through mental health challenges, both you and the person in crisis are not alone. Reach out for support for yourself if you need it. Remember that it’s important to maintain boundaries between someone else’s experience and your own. You can empathize with what someone else is going through without owning responsibility for their experience.

Author

Aliya Jones, MD, is the Executive Medical Director of Behavioral Health for Luminis Health.