what to do if your worried about someone

photo of two young women studying together

Information technology's hard to stand up by when someone you lot care nigh is going through a hard experience similar symptoms of a mental disease, trauma, difficulties with substance use, or loss of a family member. Maybe they've talked about an illness or peradventure y'all've noticed that they don't seem like themselves. Y'all might feel bad-mannered talking most mental health or worry about saying the wrong thing.

If you're concerned nigh a friend, information technology's of import to ask them what'due south happening and what they demand without making assumptions or jumping to conclusions. Imagine that you lot broke your arm but everyone treats you like you lot've broken a leg. Y'all'd probably feel really frustrated, mayhap even hurt or angry. Allow your friend know that yous want to help, but let them tell you what they need. Many people just need a friend: someone they tin can hang out with and have fun together and someone they can talk to when they need some support.

Remember that you are not a mental health professional. You aren't at that place to brand a diagnosis or give medical communication. You are in that location to support your friend and help them detect a professional if they need it.

Helping a friend doesn't mean:

Giving medical advice or acting like their psychologist, counsellor, or doctor
Making decisions for your friend
Solving all of your friend's problems
Doing everything for your friend

Helping a friend tin can affect your own well-being and information technology's important to help yourself, too. The Taking intendance of yourself section after in this info sheet has tips on managing your ain mental health and setting good for you boundaries.

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How tin can I aid?

You can be in that location to listen.

When people are going through something difficult or confusing, simply providing a space for them to share their thoughts, or talking through their experiences be very helpful. As a friend, yous tin be in that location to listen without judgement.

Some people want to talk a lot while others may non. Pushing someone to share or talk near their feelings can hurt if they don't want to talk. It's meliorate to inquire what your friend needs and respect their wishes.

When a friend has a health trouble, you may feel like you have to talk nearly health or their illness a lot. Withal, there's much more to people than an disease or health problem! Keep including your friend in your usual conversations and call up to inquire how they're doing in other parts of their life.

Y'all tin larn together.

When it comes to whatever health concern, there's a lot to learn! Learning more almost mental wellness and mental illness tin can help people accept intendance of themselves. It can as well aid friends sympathise what another person is experiencing and how they can really help.

Learning together may be as simple as finding a few books or trustworthy websites and reading them together. You can also find events and courses through local mental health organizations, schools, and campuses.

You can share experiences.

If you've experienced a health concern in the past or if you're currently dealing with a health business, yous probably take a lot of insight on how y'all bargain with challenges and stay well. Maybe a item service provider really helped y'all or you know a smashing organization in your community. This kind of information is really helpful for other people. You might consider asking your friend if they want to know what worked for you, before you share your experience with them. Sometimes people don't want communication and that's okay, too.

You tin can offer practical aid.

When people are experiencing symptoms of a mental affliction or other challenge, they may not be able to exercise everything that they want to practice. If your friend is finding it hard to take care of daily tasks, you can enquire if they demand whatsoever aid. Even pocket-sized things like taking a friend to an appointment, helping with their grocery shopping, or delivering a salubrious meal tin can make a large departure.

Experiences of mental illness can change over time and your friend may enquire for dissimilar kinds of help. For case, a friend might want to talk a lot about their experience with depression early on but find that they'd rather talk about their sometime interests and activities as they discover a expert psychotherapist and offset to feel meliorate. In other cases, people may pass up assistance at starting time but feel more comfortable request subsequently on. It'southward okay to bank check in in one case in a while to brand certain your friend has the help and back up they need.

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Where tin I find assistance for my friend?

One of the most of import things you can do for a friend (or other people in your life) is connecting them with services. Remember, it is not up to you to have all the answers or to solve every problem.

At school

Your school'southward counsellor is a proficient place to start. Some schools offer their ain programs for students. Your school'southward counsellor tin can likewise recommend services or organizations in your community that can aid. If you lot feel more comfortable talking with a item teacher or staff member, they tin can also help connect you with services and supports.

If you aren't comfy talking with someone at school, there are besides phone lines for young people who are looking for aid. Youth in BC (www.youthinbc.com) and the Kids Help Phone (www.kidshelpphone.ca) are two practiced options. They are there to listen and they can suggest services or other helpful places to go in your area.

On campus

Campuses have counselling departments that support students who need help. You tin also observe services through your campus' health and health services or your student union or student services society. Depending on your friend'southward situation, your campus' disability services can also assistance, especially if your friend would similar applied help and assistance like note-taking and test-taking. Many campuses host education events, peer support or support groups, and other useful options. If a friend is having bug with disharmonize (similar a problem with an instructor), the campus ombudsperson can help people piece of work towards a resolution.

In the customs

A family doctor or nurse practitioner is often the first person someone sees for mental health concerns. Try contacting a local mental health organization for services like support groups, programs to help people who experience a mental illness, or programs to support loved ones. They're too a nifty place to become practical advice and suggestions you might not have considered. You lot'll find contact information for mental health organizations in BC at world wide web.heretohelp.bc.ca. For skillful health information, HealthLink BC is a good option. Call 811 to talk to a registered nurse or visit world wide web.healthlinkbc.ca. You tin notice resources for young people through Kelty Mental Health. Visit www.keltymentalhealth.ca or call 1-800-665-1822.

In an emergency or crisis

If you are concerned near a friend's firsthand rubber, call 911.

If you are concerned about a friend just don't recollect that they are in immediate danger, endeavor calling your local crisis line. They are trained to help in crises and emergency, but they can too offer advice and customs resources. To connect with a crisis line in BC, telephone call the BC Mental Wellness Back up Line at 310-6789 (no area code).

If a friend experiences thoughts of suicide or talks about suicide, call ane-800-784-2433 (ane-800-SUICIDE). They are trained to help you cope with the situation and help your friend.

Depending on your friend's situation, they may work with their health intendance provider to brand a crisis plan. Crunch plans usually outline what will happen when someone feels unwell. Inquire your friend if they take a crunch plan, sometimes called a safety plan, in identify then yous know what to exercise, if needed.

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Taking care of yourself

Supporting someone else tin affect your own well-being. It's normal to feel overwhelmed, upset, or angry when someone you intendance about experiences difficulties, so information technology's important to take care of your ain health, as well. If you've been helping someone for a long time, you might experience tired or starting time to believe that you lot haven't been helpful. Small steps like getting plenty sleep, getting some exercise, and spending fourth dimension on activities you enjoy are good for everyone. If you lot're having a hard time, information technology's a good idea to seek back up for yourself. Whatsoever of the places in the Where can I detect aid for my friend? section of this info canvass are good places to beginning.

An important function of any relationship is boundaries. Even though you want to assistance, it's important to think about your limits, such as what you lot're non willing to put upwards with or what you aren't willing to do. For example, it'due south reasonable (and salubrious!) to ask that a friend not call or text you after a certain time. Have an open conversation about your boundaries and so that everyone is articulate. Remember to revaluate your boundaries and make changes, if needed—what worked at one point may not piece of work in a calendar month or a year.

What if a friend isn't gear up for help?

This tin can be a difficult situation. You can see that a friend is having a tough time, but you feel like they aren't doing anything about it. People naturally remember of what might be causing the problem and wonder why their friend won't seek help, but remember that it isn't your job to diagnose an affliction or give treatment advice. Accusing or confronting a friend probable isn't going to aid anyone. If you determine to talk with a friend, remember to be supportive, calm, and non-judgemental. Hither are more tips to try:

Ask your friend if they've been having problems lately, and permit them know that yous're a good person to talk to when they're fix.
Instead of giving your friend a list of bug you've noticed, talk most how you've been affected. Instead of saying, "Yous don't do anything anymore!" y'all could attempt, "I feel hurt when you cancel our plans at the last minute. Is something going on?"
Respond to problems that they bring upwardly. For example, if they complain almost feeling like they can't concentrate at schoolhouse, you might suggest talking about that trouble with someone who can help, similar a teacher or schoolhouse counsellor.
There may be another person in your friend's life that they really respect and seek out when they need communication. That person may have also noticed changes and may accept more of an influence.
Find a way to talk that makes it easier to get to the harder stuff. For ane person, it may be texting in the evening. For someone else, information technology may be going for a walk or going to a coffee shop.

If y'all're really concerned about a friend, talk with an adult you trust, like a teacher, your school counsellor, or a parent. Your friend may exist aroused that you lot brought others into the situation, but information technology'south more important to keep people safe.

Unless your friend is in danger of hurting themselves or someone else, at that place's one of import point to continue in listen: it is your friend'due south right to make up one's mind how they are going to bargain with it, even if y'all don't agree with their choice.

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Where tin I detect more information?

HeretoHelp

Visit world wide web.heretohelp.bc.ca to learn more than about supporting a loved one, larn more about mental health, mental illnesses and substances, take a screening self-examination and find resources in BC.

Youth in BC

Visit www.youthinbc.com to chat online with a volunteer (every mean solar day from 12:00 pm to 1:00 am). You tin can also talk with someone at whatever time at one-866-661-3311 or 604-872-3311 (in the Lower Mainland). You'll also discover information on mental health on their website.

Foundry

Visit www.foundrybc.ca for Foundry, a one-stop part for youth ages 12–24 seeking mental and physical wellness services, supports, or data. Foundry locations are bachelor around the province and some services are bachelor virtually. Visit world wide web.foundrybc.ca for more data and local contact information.

Kelty Mental Health

Visit world wide web.keltymentalhealth.ca to find resources and help for and about young people.

Mental Health Support Line

Call 310-6789 (no area code) 24 hours a day to connect to a BC crisis line without a expect or busy betoken. They can help in a crisis state of affairs, just they are too there to heed if you but need to talk and they can aid you observe resources in your area.

Most the author

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The Canadian Mental Wellness Association promotes the mental wellness of all and supports the resilience and recovery of people experiencing a mental illness through public instruction, community-based research, advancement, and direct services. Visit world wide web.cmha.bc.ca.

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Source: https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/infosheet/helping-a-friend-youre-worried-about#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20concerned%20about,offer%20advice%20and%20community%20resources.