How to Help a Loved One With a Mental Disorder

Mental disorders are prevalent throughout the world today. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that over 150 million people suffer from depression alone. Mental disorders include major depressive disorder, dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder, schizophrenia, as well as bipolar disorder among others, and there are many ways in which you can help a loved one with his disorder.

Instructions

Support and Encouragement

• 1

  Tell your loved one suffering from a mental disorder that you will be there for emotional support to talk about how he's feeling. Individuals with mental disorders need a reliable support system to lean on when feeling really 'down' or experiencing major symptoms of the disorder.

• 2

  Take your loved one out to enjoy fun activities so they don't feel trapped at home. A simple gathering with friends or eating a meal out can be helpful to anyone with a mental disorder to elevate the mood and take the mind off of the symptoms.

• 3

  Offer to run errands for the mentally ill person, such as grocery shopping or dropping off and picking up prescription medications. A person who may have been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder or panic disorder may especially need this type of help or at least want to be accompanied by a trusted friend for support.

Helping with Treatment

• 4

  Remind your loved one with a mental disorder to continue his psychotherapy or counseling sessions as well as any psychiatric medications that have been prescribed. You can even offer a ride to therapy appointments for added support.

  If he is not currently being treated for his mental disorder, encourage him to seek help from his primary care physician - first to help diagnose the problem and to receive any referrals to mental health specialists.

• 5

  Get your loved one involved with a mental disorder support group and attend with him. Support groups for mental illnesses, such as depression support groups, are usually located in a majority of communities and can be found by contacting a local mental health center or hospital.

• 6

  Get involved with any therapy 'assignments' that are given to your loved one with a mental disorder. Professional mental health counselors will often assign tasks or projects to individuals with mental disorders and mental illnesses that are designed to improve their lives and help them experience something new. If possible, help your loved one complete therapy assignments and make the mental health counselor aware of your involvement.

• 7

  Talk to your family member or friend with a mental disorder about coping skills that he can use. It's possible that his mental health counselor will be teaching him effective coping skills, such as deep breathing and guided imagery for relaxation.

• 8

  Teach the person how to practice meditation or progressive muscle relaxation exercises to help elevate the mood and promote relaxation. According to Healthy Place, meditation is a natural remedy to relieve stress and anxiety resulting from depression, one of the most common mental disorders.