1. Make the first move in a conversation.
The very first thing you should do if you are concerned about someone is to check in with them. It could be as easy as sending a text; the important thing is to let them know that you are genuinely interested in how they are doing.
2. Pay attention and consider
Allow the person to talk about what they’re going through in their own time. Make an effort to refrain from drawing any conclusions about the experience based on what you’ve observed or read in other contexts. It can be beneficial to ask open-ended questions to people; these really are questions that do not require a simple “yes” or “no” answer from the person being questioned.
Examples topics include:
“What have you been actually been feeling?”
“What does it feel like to be in that position?”
3. Be patient
It’s possible that the individual won’t feel like talking about what they’re going through for some time, or that there will be times when they’re less communicative than other times. That is completely understandable; having a mental health issue can make it challenging at times to maintain healthy social relationships.
If you are making an effort, it may feel frustrating, but try to be patient throughout the process. Even though they aren’t responding, they probably value the fact that you’re keeping in touch with them.
4. Be yourself
They are same individual you know and love, even though they may be going through a challenging time. They should not be treated any differently, and you should continue to include them in social events and make it a point to can provide options for things that you would ordinarily do with them.
5. Inquire how you can be of assistance.
Allow them the opportunity to express what it is that they require from you. This could take the form of a recurring check-in, a specific activity, or assistance with various practical matters. Because mental health issues can be so draining, it’s possible that they’re having trouble keeping up with the activities of daily life. If you think it would be appropriate in this case, anything you can do to help.
