I know people struggling with depression or who are bipolar or have other conditions–friends with mental illnesses they try to hide, and friends with a mental illness that is very apparent. You probably do, too, since one in four people experience it within any given year. Sometimes, dealing with them isn’t easy. Because I care for them, I want to support them; I want to make their lives more livable. But I’m not a professional, and I don’t want to do or say something that would be harmful to them.
An article I read recently gave me some answers. “How to Help a Friend with Mental Illness” offers five simple recommendations: 1) Listen to what they are saying. 2) Validate what they are saying. 3) Ask what they need. 4) Educate yourself about their experience. 5) Keep being a friend. (See explanations at http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-help-a-friend-with-a-mental-illness.html.)
I’m trying to apply these steps to my friends. I hope others will apply them to me when I need them.