This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Toronto chapter.
It is an awful but true reality. Most people have had someone very close to them, be it a family member, a best friend or a classmate, that has suffered or is suffering from a mental health disease. I can personally tell you that I have been through it, and it’s one of the worst feelings in the world.
Being in this situation may sometimes frustrate you and make you feel useless. Here are some tips you could use if you find yourself in the same situation:
- Know it’s not your fault! Sometimes, especially when a family member is affected, it’s easy to feel it may be because of you, or maybe something you did in the past. It is not! Having a mental illness is a complicated matter that doesn’t just appear. It is no one’s fault! Neither yours or the affected one.
- Be patient with yourself. This is a pretty obvious one, but so easy to forget. No one is perfect and to be honest it is really hard to handle this type of situation. Be kind and patient with yourself. You are not supposed to know all the answers.
- Take care of yourself. Don’t expect to be able to help someone in this situation if you are not okay yourself. Your mental health is just as important. Never forget that.
- Try to talk to a specialist about the issue. It can be really frustrating not to know how to act or say sometimes. Get informed, learn, and apply. I guarantee you, you’ll feel more comfortable with whatever you are doing once you know they won’t hurt anybody.
- Talk to somebody. Lean on somebody. If you decide to take on a lot of responsibility in this scenario, don’t feel shy to lean on other people. Reach out for help if you feel overwhelmed or go out and grab a cup of coffee with a friend to get your mind off of your situation.
There you go. Hopefully, these tips will help you. It is a really hard situation, but it will get better.
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