In our daily lives, we come across a lot of people. Whether it’s in our workplace, in school, or at any kind of social gathering, we get to meet so many different people. Sometimes we meet people who are positive, passionate, and active. Sometimes we see people who are quiet, or at least we get the idea that these people are going through something that makes us walk around them on eggshells.
Sometimes it’s the people that were once the life of the party, now being a recluse even though they’re surrounded by so many. We know they’re struggling with something mentally or emotionally. Maybe they recently lost a loved one, study pressure, and responsibilities. Simply overthinking can cause anxiety. It could be our friends, colleagues, or even a family member. Sometimes all we need to do is reach out to them.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 280 million people worldwide have depression, including 5% of the world’s adults and 5.7% of adults above age 60 (October, 2023). In a low-middle-income country like Bangladesh, almost 18.7% of adults and 12.6% of children suffer from mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and stress. Women are more likely to suffer from these than men would.
So we can see from these surveys that people are suffering from it and it is a real problem. The reason for addressing it as a “real problem” is that people tend to not seek help from a professional when this definitely needs to be supervised by a professional. It happens due to stigma and inadequate mental health literacy. Sometimes they think visiting mental health professionals might result in labeling them as “crazy” people.
It takes quite a lot of time to reach such a state where they need professional help. Before that when they’re struggling silently, we can reach out to them and let them know they’re not alone in this. A couple ways are listed below:
- Listen and be present: When someone who’s mentally vulnerable opens up to you, just listen. Let them know you’re here to listen always.
- Let them share as much as they want: Don’t pressure them or ask too many questions. Let them talk so they can ease up.
- Don’t try to diagnose or address the problem on your own: When they’re talking to you about their pain and struggle, don’t jump to conclusions saying you heard about this in a certain documentary and their symptoms match this and that. You don’t have to do the diagnosis.
- Listening carefully: When they’re talking, just nod and agree with them or even repeat what they’re saying to let them know you’re listening and you’re present.
- Know your limits: You’re here to listen to them, not to judge them or diagnose their problems. If you do it unintentionally, know when to stop.
- If they’re a family member and not talking to you: It’s only natural that they would feel uncomfortable talking to a close family member, thinking they might hurt or scare them. Your job is to let them know you’re here for them, for anything they want.
- Help them seek professional help: You can provide information or you can go to the clinic together.
- Responding in a crisis: If they become suicidal or harmful, talk to them, and reach out to them. Let them know it’s okay to feel such pain, but they don’t have to deal with it alone. Ask them if they want anybody to contact or what they need specifically. If things get out of hand, call the national emergency number and make arrangements to take them to the hospital.
It’s important to notice if you see any different behavior from your loved ones. Tell them you’re worried. Sometimes it’s best to carry on as usual so they don’t feel uncomfortable. Reassure them and offer your help. If you can’t seem to talk to them in person, send out a simple text.
It can be stressful listening to them struggling this much. So you need to take care of yourself as well. If you’re struggling through something like this, know that you’re not alone. There is always someone who will be there for you. You just need to muster up some courage to open up to them.
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Writer
Farzana Binte Rahman Meem
Intern at Content Writing Department
YSSE