Geneva, IL Clinical Mental Health Counseling Advice: How to Help a Loved One Struggling with Mental Health Issues

How to Help a Loved One Struggling with Mental Health Issues

Do you know a loved one in the Geneva area who is struggling with their mental health? Do you want some advice on how to actively help them?

Several years ago, people didn’t speak about mental health issues, as it carried a negative stigma. Nowadays, mental health is talked about openly, and there’s great support available in the form of clinical mental health counseling.

As a result, you don’t have to suffer in silence and can live a happier life. Still, taking the first step is the hardest, so it’s important to have supportive people around.

Below we will share some things you can do to help a loved one overcome mental health issues.

Be a Great Listener

One of the most helpful things you can do for someone suffering from mental health problems is listening.

Being able to get things off their chest and express some feelings can do wonders for them. They’ve likely bottled things up for a while and are desperate to talk to someone. Just one conversation can feel like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders.

Just remember to be nonjudgmental and don’t offer unsolicited advice. Actively encourage them to talk more and ask what else you can do for them.

Educate Yourself

There’s a lot of misconceptions about mental health, so it’s important to educate yourself before you try helping a loved one.

If they have been diagnosed with a mental health illness, you can speak to a professional in Geneva or read up on things such as:

  • Symptoms
  • Causes
  • Treatments
  • Myths

This will help you be more prepared before talking to them and help you to understand what is going on. They’ll also feel confident in your knowledge and respect you for doing some research.

Stay in Touch with Them

When people are suffering from poor mental health, it’s common for them to become isolated. This makes things worse, so you should try to prevent this.

Make an effort to stay connected, whether in person, by phone, text, or email.

A short chat each day can make a huge difference and ensure they don’t feel alone. It also helps you to monitor them and look out for signs of deterioration.

Suggest Seeking Professional Help in Geneva

People suffering from poor mental health often avoid seeking treatment. This can be due to a variety of reasons such as:

  • They feel they’re wasting the professional’s time
  • They fear they will not be understood
  • They worry about being hospitalized
  • They worry about being judged

Ultimately, getting the right mental health treatment is crucial for them to start feeling better. So, it would help if you actively encouraged them to get it.

Offer to make an appointment on their behalf and accompany them on the journey. By doing this, you’re being supportive and helping them take a giant positive step forward.

How to Help Someone in the Geneva Area with Mental Health Issues

We hope this short guide has been useful and has offered ideas on how you can help your loved one.

Mental health issues are serious and should never be ignored. Often the people struggling need someone to help them on their road to recovery, which can be you.

Finally, check out the counseling section of our website to see how we can help today.