YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

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How can you help others?

Worried about someone? Learn how to support them.

 

Let them know you care and willing to listen

  • Treat them with respect and dignity.
  • Talk with them about their feelings.
  • Suggest that they should speak to someone they feel comfortable with (their GP or other mental health professional). This may help them feel better.
  • Offer assistance (i.e. find someone they trust talking with and make the appointment or arrange the meeting, and if they wish, be with them at the time).
  • Share information sourced from a health professional or a self-help book with relevant strategies.
  • Provide them with information to access e-mental health resources.
  • Seek guidance from a health professional if their mental health deteriorates or you believe they are at risk of harming themselves or others.

 

 

Identifying suicidal thoughts early on is important for prevention and treatment. If you know someone who is struggling with suicide, you may find the below tips useful.

 

 

Speak Up

If you feel a friend or a family member is at risk of harming themselves, ask them directly about it. Talking about suicide is not easy because suicide may be viewed as a taboo in our society. You can bring up the subject by saying something like:

  • I have noticed that you have been different lately. I was wondering how you are doing.
  • You haven’t seemed yourself lately. I wanted to check on you.
  • When did these feelings begin?
  • How can I support you right now? How can I be of any help?
  • Have you thought about getting help?
  • These feelings will change even though you may not believe it now.
  • I care about you and I want to help you, even though I may not be able to know how you feel.
  • When you feel you want to give up, ask yourself to hold on for just one more day, or hour, or minute, whatever you can manage.

 

 

Encourage your friend to reach out to the national suicide prevention lifeline “1564-Embrace Lifeline."

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Are there effective treatments for mental disorders?

Just like for physical health disorders, there are effective treatments for mental disorders.   Treatment plans can include medication and/or lifestyle changes and/or psychotherapy.   Life style changes can promote recovery. These include for example a) getting enough sleep, b) participation in physical activities, c) participation in social activities that you enjoy, etc. Studies have shown that these changes in lifestyle are effective in prevention and in treatment of mental disorders. Psychotherapy can help the person understand the condition he/she is going through better and to develop his/her skills to cope with the life stressors and daily challenges. Medication can help in decreasing symptoms and accelerating recovery. There are different types of medication that have proven to be effective in treating mental disorders. They should be prescribed by the doctor only. How to get more help when needed: Talk with someone you trust: Most people feel better after they talk about their feelings with someone who cares about them. Talk with a licensed psychotherapist: He/she can help you by offering talk therapies which have been shown to be effective. Talk with your family doctor or psychiatrist: He/she can help diagnose the problem and initiate treatment. There are four types of mental health professionals (see image above), each having their own qualifications.   Call the Embrace Lifeline 1564 for information above available services close to where you are.      

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