Taking the first step towards talking about your mental health can be difficult. Thinking about who you want to talk to and how you want to start the conversation can make it easier to open up to someone about how you’ve been feeling.
It might feel a bit awkward at first since many people aren’t used to talking about their mental health. But if you keep the conversation going, you’ll likely start to feel more comfortable after a few minutes.
Let them know you have something important to tell them. Start by telling them that you want to talk to them about something important. Let them know that you are worried about how you have been feeling for a while.
Explain how it impacts you. Tell them how your mental health difficulties have impacted your daily life. You may have noticed changes in your appetite or in your sleeping patterns, for example. Perhaps you’re spending more time in your room alone and avoiding others. You may have noticed that you are feeling sad a lot or that your mood is lower than usual.
Tell them how they can help. Tell them how they can support you. They might be able to make more time for you, or perhaps you’d like them to accompany you to a doctor or counsellor. If you’re not sure how they can help right now, that’s okay. Just keep it in mind and share any ideas with them as they come up.
Be ready for questions. Your friend or family member might want to ask you a lot of questions. They might want to know how long you’ve been feeling like this, or what they can do to help. Be prepared for this, and let them know if you begin to feel overwhelmed by the conversation and need to take a break.
Be patient with them. You’ve taken a big step by reaching out for help, and that’s something to be proud of. It might take some time for your friend or family member to process what you’ve shared, so be patient with them. Let them know you understand that this news might be surprising or upsetting, but you came to them because you trust them and need their support.
