In the United States, more than 20% of adults have some type of mental illness. Although counseling, medications and other treatments are helpful, it’s also important for people with mental illnesses to receive support from their friends and family members. If you’re thinking about serving as a mental health advocate for someone you love, here’s what you need to know.
Recognizing the Signs of Mental Health Struggles
Each mental health condition has a unique set of signs and symptoms. That said, the National Alliance of Mental Health reports that some symptoms are more common than others. Before you engage in advocacy for mental health patients, you should be familiar with these signs that someone’s struggling:
- Excessive Worry
- Difficulty Concentrating
- Sudden Behavioral Changes
- Mood Swings
- Difficulty Relating to other People
- Lack of Enery/Fatigue
The Role of a Mental Health Advocate
A mental health advocate is someone who provides support to friends and family members with mental illnesses. You don’t need a degree or a professional certification to be an effective advocate, but you do need to educate yourself on mental illness. It’s also important to understand how mental illness affects your loved one’s daily life.
If you’re interested in becoming a mental health advocate, you should have the following qualities:
- Honesty. When you’re advocating for someone, you need to be honest about their circumstances. For example, if a loved one’s depression is having a negative impact on the whole family, you need to be up front about the problem. Your honesty may motivate the other person to seek professional help.
- Passion. Effective advocacy for mental health patients requires a high level of commitment. When you promise to advocate for a loved one, you need to keep your promise. If you’re passionate about advocacy, you’re more likely to stick with it.
- Inclusivity. As a mental health advocate, you need to respect other people’s beliefs. Your loved one may have different attitudes or values, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worthy of your support. If you want to advocate for their needs, you must accept them exactly as they are.
- Compassion. Mental illness often has a domino effect, making family members and friends hesitant to lend their support. If you want to be a mental health advocate, you need to be compassionate enough to forgive your loved one and recognize that they need your help instead of your judgment.
If you’re confident in your ability to support your loved one without judging them, here are a few ways to advocate for mental health:
- Listen carefully when your loved one expresses their frustration.
- Gather information to help your loved one make decisions about mental health treatment.
- Contact treatment centers to find out what they offer and determine if your loved one’s insurance plan will cover any of the costs (with your loved one’s permission).
- Make sure your loved one understands their rights.
- Transport your loved one to counseling sessions, if needed.
- Accompany your loved one to medical appointments, if requested.
Effective Communication and Support
If you want to succeed as a mental health advocate, effective communication is essential. That starts with using person-first language, which emphasizes the individual rather than their mental illness. For example, if your loved one has signs of schizophrenia, you wouldn’t call them a schizophrenic. You’d call them a person with schizophrenia. This highlights their humanity rather than reducing them to a diagnosis or a set of symptoms.
Once you master effective communication techniques, there are a few ways to lend your support to someone with mental illness. If they have depression that makes it difficult to get out of bed and tackle household chores, for example, offer to tidy up and run the vacuum the next time you visit. Someone with anxiety may benefit from having you listen to their concerns and reassure them.
It’s also helpful to remind your loved one about the importance of self-care. You may even want to provide self-care items, such as a candle or an essential oil diffuser, to make it easier for your loved one to relax. Self-care isn’t a cure for mental health issues, but it does relieve stress, which may make it easier for your loved one to seek help.
Seeking Professional Help
Advocacy is important, but you don’t have to do it all alone. If your loved one needs professional treatment, let them know about Mental Health Hotline. We partner with certified mental health professionals throughout the United States, making it easier to access comprehensive care. Best of all, we offer assistance 24 hours per day.