Helping family with mental health

family mental health support

It’s understandable that when you are going through something that takes a toll on your mental wellbeing, you refuse to seek help. Our natural instinct is to remain in denial and run away from our loved ones, especially those who suggest some mental health programs for our own good.

A professional can really help you here as his/her unbiased advice allows you to reflect upon yourself without any judgment or guilt. Many people refuse to acknowledge the fact that sometimes, a problem cannot be solved on their own. This is why therapy is often considered a weak spot. In 2004, the American Psychology Association conducted a survey on mental health problems and discovered that out of a 1,000 participants, 48% people reported that one of their family members had visited a mental health expert.

If you are seeing your loved ones waste away their lives under the pressure of depression and anxiety, read the following tricks on how to persuade them to check into an inpatient mental health facility:

Repeat Their Concerns to Them

It becomes quite frustrating when you give out advice, but your loved one refuses to listen and keeps complaining. The trick here is to be compassionate when repeating their concerns. Don’t sound like a parrot but use their words and shape them into something positive. Once they realize that you understand and hear them clearly, they will listen to your advice the next time you speak.

Share Your Love for Therapy

This can be difficult if you haven’t been to therapy yourself. You can quote accounts of mutual friends to make your loved one understand how therapy works. Maintain a supportive and gentle tone at all times. If you sound too authoritative, they will take a defensive position.

Explain to Them That Therapy Is Like “Coaching”

Why do we seek out coaching? To become better at the one thing that we are passionate about! That is what therapy is all about and it is better received at mental health facilities. Explore this angle by using their favorite sports and explain to them how therapy will help them achieve their future goals.

Ask Them How They Are Coping

The most common comeback you will receive from a person who has mental health problems is, “I am dealing with it in my own way”. Your job is to ask them “how”. Don’t be snarky but gently probe and ask if the therapy they are trying is working or not.

Don’t Put Pressure on Them and Let Them Know It

Ultimately encouragement will prevail but your line of talking can also take a pressurizing tone. We understand that you are doing everything with good intentions but a person with mental health problems does not see it that way. If they open up then just listen and give advice only when asked.

The best way to steer them towards the right path is to be patient. Every now and then, give them a small advice and back off. It will take time for them to realize on their own but this will work better because they will be committed to the therapy. Before you start looking at inpatient mental health facilities, why not visit Chat Live MD. The website gives you the option to talk to a therapist online. This will allow your loved one to seek help from the comfort of their home before they are ready to enter a therapy program.