Talking to Someone about Their Mental Health Life in Relationship

Topic: How do I talk to someone I love who is struggling with their mental health?
Intro: Changing stigma towards mental health
Step 1 - changing our beliefs
Step 2 - changing our actions related to beliefs
2019 APA survey:
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/mental-health-survey
 
What is my relationship with this person? (4:30) Relationship = vulnerability + boundaries Where are they at? Consider the person’s willingness to have the conversation Can they see the concerns or are they mostly unaware? Use the phrase – “I’ve noticed” or “Have you noticed…” Start with culturally normative symptoms or what might be easiest from them to hear Shift our own understanding about mental health as part of everyone’s everyday life  
Get some info for yourself Nami - https://nami.org/Support-Education and Mental Health First Aid and Fresh Hope groups recognize our own anxieties about mental health Mental Health First Aid: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/take-a-course/find-a-course/ Determining a crisis v. non-crisis situation QPR training for suicide prevention:
https://qprinstitute.com/individual-training
Concerns about suicide: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/  
Consider your language and your relationship with your own mental health (18:00) Do not make assumptions Ask lots of questions Use a tone of respect People are more responsive when we are willing to deal with our own stuff Be authentic in our own struggles The struggle isn’t usually the same intensity forever  
Have some resources ready and check back in (23:30) Hotline resources - https://www.rainn.org/ https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/
https://www.thehotline.org/ for family and relationship violence
211 – basic resources local to you
look up some local therapists therapist search on Heidi’s website: https://heidigoehmann.com/connect
Combat veteran resources and info around trauma Normalizing combat trauma - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_veterans.asp
Find an EMDR therapist - https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/
Get your own therapy if they are resistant (or if they aren’t)
books – Maybe You Should Talk to Someone - https://amzn.to/3EXYkhV
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone Workbook - https://amzn.to/3HPMpEL
            Soul of Shame - https://amzn.to/3pViWTK
      Daring Greatly - https://amzn.to/3zwOpPw
Fresh Hope Workbook - https://amzn.to/3faK0YV
Fresh Hope website - https://freshhope.us/
Loving Someone Series –
PTSD - https://amzn.to/34oRh5s
Bipolar - https://amzn.to/3zsYEnK
ADHD - https://amzn.to/3mYkmuY
 
Don’t forget boundaries for yourself with compassion  
Mental health page at heidigoehmann.com - https://heidigoehmann.com/mental-health-1
Relationship page at heidigoehmann.com - https://heidigoehmann.com/relationships
 
 
Short Answer: There is no perfect way to have the conversation - start somewhere, with a resource and a single awkward conversation.