How Can I Help Friends & Family with Mental Health Issues?

If your friend/family member has not been diagnosed...

Do your best to stay calm if they tell you about a problem they are experiencing, it is likely to have taken a lot of courage for them to disclose this to you. The next step is to encourage the person to speak with their GP. You may wish to offer to go along to the appointment with them.

If your friend/family member has already been diagnosed...

Try to find out more about the illness. This can help you gain a better understanding of what your friend/family member is going through.

Be sensitive. Don't tell them to just snap out of it. One of the best things you can do is to offer to listen if they would like to talk about it but be understanding if they don't want to. It may be too difficult for them to discuss what is going on or they may prefer to talk to someone anonymously and neutrally (e.g. Samaritans)

With some issues in particular, for example depression or bereavement, it can become very difficult for the person to carry on with day to day tasks. It can be helpful if you offer to help out with the shopping/cooking/cleaning/childcare/finances etc. Be careful not to take on too many of these responsibilities for your friend/family member, you want to be there to help, not to take over.

Keep yourself safe. It can be very difficult and often distressing to hear somebody else's issues. It is important that you look after your own wellbeing. Talk to somebody about how it makes you feel. If you need to do this in confidence you can call a helpline for example Samaritans (Tel: 08457 90 90 90) or Breathing Space.

Mental Health Carers Group

Caring for someone with mental health can be an enormous challenge, bringing with it feelings of anger, fear, anxiety and isolation.

Mental Health Carers Group meet on the first Monday of each month.  The group is for carers who support family or friends who have mental ill-health.  Meetings are held from 7pm-9pm at Shetland Link Up, 8 Commercial Street, Lerwick ZE1 0AN.

Feelings of powerlessness can often stem from not knowing where to get help, or from being unable to exchange ideas with somebody else who is going through a similar crisis.

Carers need to look after their own well-being as they play a very important part in, and can have a very positive effect on, the recovery of those they look after.

For more information on the Mental Health Carers Group, please contact Anne Burke, tel 07887606205.