{"id":19077,"date":"2020-02-19T09:00:11","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T17:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=19077"},"modified":"2020-02-14T15:27:16","modified_gmt":"2020-02-14T23:27:16","slug":"camosun-mywellness-column-helping-those-with-mental-health-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2020\/02\/19\/camosun-mywellness-column-helping-those-with-mental-health-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Camosun MyWellness column: Helping those with mental-health issues"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we roll into February, seasonal depression is in full swing, and so are those year-round disorders that so many of us struggle with. But what if you\u2019re on the outside? How can you offer support to someone that doesn\u2019t know how to ask for it?<\/p>\n

Often, when people you love are dealing with anxiety, depression, psychosis, or other disorders, their first instinct is to push you away. Maybe they think you wouldn\u2019t understand, or they don\u2019t want to be a burden. Maybe they\u2019re frozen, unable to explain exactly what they\u2019re going through. Here\u2019s how you can help.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
This story originally appeared in our February 19, 2020 issue.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. In the heat of the moment<\/b><\/p>\n

In the eye of the storm, mid panic attack or depressive episode, it\u2019s hard to know what to do. And it depends completely on the person and situation! The most important thing is letting them know you\u2019re there, <\/i>giving them space if they ask for it, and not forcing them to talk before they\u2019re ready. It\u2019s critical to let them know that all their feelings are okay, <\/i>real, and valid. Be patient and loving.<\/p>\n

2. Over time<\/b><\/p>\n

Observe your friend or family member, and try to put yourself in their shoes. What do they need most? Offer support and options for counselling or support groups. It\u2019s best to get them talking if possible, but you have to remember that you can\u2019t make <\/i>someone get better. It\u2019s also okay to take space and time for your own <\/i>mental health. It\u2019s okay to support, but don\u2019t take on other people\u2019s burdens as your own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. From a distance\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

If this person is someone you don\u2019t see every day, it\u2019s important to remember that lots of people struggling with mental health issues won\u2019t initiate contact. <\/i>If you haven\u2019t heard from them in a few days, send a text! Let them know they\u2019re loved; ask to do something. Anxiety and depression will often trick the mind into thinking of itself as a burden, and these people sometimes need a little nudge to socialize. Let them know you care!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re ever concerned that the person may harm themselves, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline\u2014mywellness.com\/camosun is also a great place to reach a 24\/7 text hotline as well as online video counselling, which can be a great support for those struggling.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t wait until it\u2019s too late!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we roll into February, seasonal depression is in full swing, and so are those year-round disorders that so many of us struggle with. But what if you\u2019re on the outside? How can you offer support to someone that doesn\u2019t know how to ask for it? Often, when people you love are dealing with anxiety, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,248],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columns","category-february-19-2020"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19077"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19078,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19077\/revisions\/19078"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}