The times are changing. Mental health stigmas are slowly falling by the wayside as Americans increasingly acknowledge the value in caring for our mental and emotional well-being. As attitudes about mental wellness change, it opens up new opportunities for us to talk about it with the people we care about.
Whether you’ve been carrying your own mental health burden or worrying about a friend, having that first conversation about mental health can help motivate yourself and your loved ones to get the support everyone needs. But it can also feel scary.
Where do you start?
Allow yourself or your loved one to receive the support you need, despite any trepidation you may feel. If you want to try talking to your friends about mental health, we’ve got a few tips to ease you in.
Know what you want to say
If you want more support from your friend for your own mental health journey, think through how you want that to look. You might be looking for an accountability partner or a listening ear, and those are two very different things. Get clarity about what would be most meaningful to you before you start talking to your friends about mental health. That way, you can ask them to support you in a specific way.
What if the shoe is on the other foot? If you want to talk to a friend about a mental health challenge you’re seeing in their life, preparing for the conversation is extra important. Mental Health America has a worksheet you can use to frame up the conversation in a compassionate way.
Once you get the conversation started, allow the role to shift. Now, it’s your turn to listen — and really listen. When your friend trusts you enough to confide in you about their mental health, it’s important to approach the situation with care and a sense of responsibility. Try to focus on listening more than you talk and when you do speak, being selective about choosing caring words. You want your friend to feel supported and heard, as opposed to judged or pushed in any one direction.
Find a safe space
It requires vulnerability when we are opening up about our mental health or encouraging someone we care about to talk about theirs. To help everyone feel safe during the conversation, it’s important to think about where you want to have the conversation.
A busy coffee shop or your break room at work probably isn’t the call. Instead, find a quiet, protected place where both of you feel comfortable. Maybe you invite your friend over for a cup of tea or set up a blanket on an uncrowded beach.
Talking to your friends about mental health is a journey
In an ideal world, we want that first conversation to go smoothly. But know that mental health is a new topic for a lot of people. And newness can be scary.
Give your friend time. It’s alright if they didn’t provide you with that ideal response the first go-around. The important thing is that you initiated the discussion. Give them some space to process what you said. After a few weeks, consider revisiting the topic.
We can also help here. If you want to talk with an expert about how to frame up talking with your friends about mental health, come see one of our therapists. We’re here to help you develop the tools you need to support healthy, open relationships in your life. For help talking to your friends, family, or anyone else, contact us.
