4 Ways To Support A Loved One With Depression and Anxiety
Learn how to support your loved one with depression and anxiety. From active listening to offering reassurance, discover four practical ways to be there for them during challenging times.
Note: I am not a mental health professional. The information presented in this article should not be used for self-diagnosis or to replace a medical diagnosis from a mental health professional or your primary care physician. The following information is for educational purposes only.
It’s difficult to watch someone you know suffer. It’s even more challenging to watch someone suffering from mental health illnesses such as Major Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia. When they suffer, you want to do everything you can to relieve them of the pain. However, you might not know how to support a loved one with depression and anxiety.
Sometimes, you may feel hopeless, frustrated, and sad because you don’t know how to help them. But how you act, say, and behave around someone who has a mental illness can positively impact their mental health in the long run. You may not be a professional, an educator, or an expert on mental health illness, but there are steps you can take to educate yourself and support your partners and loved ones.
What is a Mental Health Illness?
A mental health illness is a disorder that affects your daily mood, attitude, behavior, and thinking. Mental health illnesses are typically associated with distress or problems in someone’s social, work, or personal life. Mental health illnesses are common, especially in the United States. Over 50 million Americans were diagnosed with mental illness in 2019.
Mental health illnesses come in many forms and can have long and short-lasting effects on a person. Some of the most common mental health illnesses are
- Depression
- Bipolar Disorder
- Anxiety
- Schizophrenia
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Helping Someone With Depression and Anxiety
Depression and anxiety are common mental health disorders you’ve probably met or know someone suffering from. But, people with depression and anxiety are more likely to overcome their struggles if they have the right support system. But getting them the support they need is more challenging than it seems.
Mental health illnesses can leave a person feeling extremely sad and lonely. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for them is to call them, hang out with them, and check in with them occasionally. When a loved one feels down, it helps to know that they have someone on their side who wants the best for them.
If the person you’re worried about is dealing with thoughts of suicide or suicidal ideations, there are preventive steps you can take to assist them better. However, if you think that they are in danger of hurting themselves or others, it’s crucial that you immediately contact help.
Giving your loved ones this support opens communication about how they feel. Once they’ve chosen to talk it through with you, it’s your job to offer consistent encouragement and not make them feel isolated, confused, or uncomfortable. Here are four ways to encourage and support a loved one with depression and anxiety.
How to Support a Loved One With Depression and Anxiety
Be Willing to Listen, Free From Judgement
One of the biggest reasons most people refuse to seek help from someone they know is fear of judgment. Listening without judgment means you’re not quick to jump to conclusions or form opinions based on what is said. By not judging, they’re more likely to want to confide in you, seek feedback, and go to you in times of need.
There are times when depression and anxiety occur because of a bigger problem, like drug addiction. Your loved one needs to know that there will be no judgment and no ultimatums if they come to you with these issues. Instead, find support with addiction treatment options by clicking here- visit website
Offer Unconditional Love
Offering unconditional love is the best way to help someone with mental health illnesses to boost their self-esteem and confidence. It makes a person feel safe and wanted, which results in them finding the strength to be vulnerable. This means a person is likelier to come to you when upset, angry, or experiencing negative emotions.
Encourage a Judgement Free Environment
Not only do you need to listen without judgment, but you must create a judgment-free environment. A judgment-free environment allows your loved ones to feel comfortable speaking their truth. As a result, your loved ones can overcome their struggles faster, knowing that their space is safe for them.
Resist The Urge to Offer Advice
The final and most important thing to do when speaking to someone with depression and anxiety is to resist the urge to offer advice. Sometimes, a person wants to vent and be heard, and they don’t like to be lectured on how to solve their life problems. So let them lash out, even if it’s something small. Trust me; you’ll positively impact them more by saying nothing than giving them advice. Allow them to also suggest pathways forward themselves, and help them with that. This way they feel that they’re guiding it, but you’re helping them along. That might be seeking a mental health professional, or putting in a request to a Alcohol and Drug Detox Clinic. Getting out of their way can have the biggest impact of all.
Other Ways to Support a Loved One With Depression and Anxiety
If you’re unsure how to support a loved one with depression and anxiety, you can always search for free resources online. Below is a list of free resources for people in the United States, the UK, and South Africa.
If you’re looking for resources in other countries not listed above, please reference https://unitedgmh.org/mental-health-support, which has an extensive list of resources for people with mental illness, including those living in third-world countries.
- The National Suicide Hotline (USA): Call or text 988
- Mind Info (UK):( Call 0 (300)-123-3393
- Samaritans: Call 116-123
- Crisis Text Line (USA): Text NAMI to 741-741
- Suicide Crisis Helpline (South Africa): Call 0 (800)- 567-567
- 24hr Substance Abuse Helpline (South Africa): Call 0 (800)-121-314
- Mental Health Helplines (South Africa) Call 0 (800)- 456-789 or 0 (800)-212-223
For those of you struggling with drug abuse or addiction, please check out Rehab Aid. RehabAid is a group of online mental health professionals dedicated to helping you or a loved one overcome drug abuse and addiction. You can learn more about this resource at https://rehabaid.com/overdose-statistics/.
How else can you support a loved one with depression and anxiety? Let me know in the comments.
very informative. thanks for sharing.
Thank you for reading
I’m so glad you mentioned that offering advice is not always a good thing. I deal with depression and anxiety every day, and sometimes you just need to vent. I may know the “solution,” but that doesn’t mean I’m not upset or anxious over it. And if someone tells me to “calm down” oh… it won’t be well-received! Lending an ear and trusting that the person will ask for help if they truly want or need it is such a big thing. Great post as always!
I totally agree! Sometimes the best way to be there for someone is to just let them vent.
Great post, Riyah! Your posts are always filled with so much valuable information!
Awe, thank you, Susan.
thank you for your post. I have people around me that does have depression and I often don’t know what to say. i feel helpless when I see the people I love like that because I feel like me listening to them isn’t enough.
Trust me! Listening is the best thing you can do for your loved ones. It makes such a huge difference.
Thank you for writing this. Sometimes not doing anything, just being there for someone who suffers from mental ill-health can make a big difference.
Yes, it does. The one thing I always hated most was when people would try to give me advice when all i wanted to do was vent.
As someone who has both depression and anxiety, thank you for writing this. I’m sure it’ll help someone out there!
I hope it does. So many people are suffering and need help.
I have a loved one going through depression right now and it’s hard to watch them drink their problems away and not try to move forward, so I often times give advice, but what I’ve learned is it doesn’t really go that far usually because either the person already knows what they need to do and won’t do it, or they just don’t want to hear it I try to not expect myself out of other people, but it’s hard when it’s someone so near and dear to you to not want to try and help by telling them what you would do in their situation. These are some great tips for me to try, thank you!
I’m so sorry that they’re going through this. I hope that these tips help you in trying to help them. If all else fails, try seeking professional help.
This is an awesome post – this is packed with such important information. One of the best things I’ve learned is to not provide advice, it’s easy to switch into that mode but in the moment a lot of my family and friends do not want or need that. Adjusting to a listening model has really helped with being a support to them! Thanks for sharing.
Learning how to properly support someone with mental health illnesses is such an important skill. Hope this helps in the future.