How to help your mates who struggle with their mental health

Mental health has seriously fucked over our generation but there isn’t much we can do about it. We can, however, try and penetrate the ridiculous glass ceiling that we call “stigma”, regarding mental health. Why, you ask? Because it’s fucking important, that’s why. Instead of bullshitting you all and telling you to meditate your anxiety away, let’s be real on how to help a friend or partner through their bad days.

Everyone experiences mental health differently so it’s important to remember that there is no rule book when it comes to helping someone out. However, there are some fool-proof tricks to help your person overcome a bad day.

Give them a bit of TLC

spoon me pls

A cuddle is always appreciated – never underestimate the power of hugs. For the most part, bad days don’t usually come for a reason which can be really infuriating, so just physically being next to a person when they’re not feeling great, can make a big difference.

Put on their favourite movie, bring them some ice cream, brush their hair, and just provide them with a distraction from their thoughts because trust me, the worst thing is to feel alone during shitty times.

Make sure they're eating and washing

Make sure to take care of them physically – this includes eating, bathing, getting dressed into fresh clothes and keeping basic hygiene. A lot of people who have depression may neglect the basics of life such as showering or not brushing their hair, because they literally do not have the energy.

This is a harmful pattern to get into and when it may last for more than a few days, then it is very helpful for a person to have someone who can help them with these things.

Encourage them to find an outlet

There are a bunch of options that the uni can provide you with, from the GP services where you can get prescribed medication, to counselling and therapist referrals. These may not be for everyone, but they can help you gain perspective with whatever issues you’re facing.

Distractions

Pls send help

Talk about something other than how shit they feel, if you ask them what’s wrong once and they don’t want to talk about it, leave it and change the subject. Sometimes people just can't think of the words to explain how they're feeling in that moment.

Staying off social media can help

Staying off social media can really help. Endlessly scrolling is a massive temptation when your depression is expressed via boredom, but all it does give you is a migraine and makes you feel worse. That being said, it’s okay to spend the day in bed once in a while, because, self care is important.

Take time to really listen and understand

Hey demons, it's me, ya boi

Whether you're someone suffering from mental health issues or you're someone who watches someone else suffer, don't make a big deal out of it. If the person feels okay, let them open up to you and listen to them explain it in the best way they know how.

Know their triggers and avoid them if possible, triggers for someone with PTSD may be very small, but for them it could be the slightest change in volume in a partner’s voice during an argument, or flinching whenever someone touches a specific body part.

Try and be as empathetic as possible – and this applies to all mental health conditions. If you’re someone who isn’t living with a mental health issue, the best way to show solidarity is to make sure that your person feels like they’re being heard and that they are aware that whatever they’re feeling, is okay. The phrase “I understand” holds a lot more power than you may think.

We got u

Alright, enough with the heavy. Mental health is shitty and we are all aware of this but just being as supportive as you possibly can and being honest about what you're able to handle is really important. Effort is ALWAYS appreciated, even if you think it's something tiny, it can mean the world to someone else.

There's never too much knowledge when it comes to health, so arm yourselves because this is a battle that no one should ever have to face alone – solidarity means something and just know that we appreciate it. Peace, love and stay crazy, kids.