Supporting someone who experiences mental health issues can feel overwhelming. You might notice changes in their mood and wonder if you should step in or if it would be an infringement on their privacy. The truth is that mental health challenges can happen to anyone, and while professional help is essential in many cases, the everyday support of friends and family can make a real difference.
How to recognize warning signs? How can tools like the Breeze app help? How to help someone with mental health issues? Why does your presence matter more than you may realize?
How to Know if I Should Intervene?
When someone close to you feels bad, it’s almost like we can feel their pain. This pain can feel even worse because we don’t know how to help. It’s natural to wonder: Is this serious enough for me to step in?
Sometimes even the happiest, most social people on the outside are quietly fighting their hardest battles on the inside. 332 million people now have depression [1]. Do you think each of them is sad? No, some people with mental health conditions don’t want to impose their “burden” on their close people, so they’d rather pretend everything is fine.
What signs to look for? We asked https://breeze-wellbeing.com/ to help us summarize the most important signs that someone with mental health issues looks for help:
- Talking about not wanting to live anymore, even jokingly.
- Giving away personal belongings or “putting things in order.”
- Wondering what their life, world, or family would look like/do without them.
- Experiencing hallucinations or detachment from reality.
- Noticeable decline in personal care or hygiene
- Inability to complete basic responsibilities, such as sending kids to school or checking an email
- Frequent panic attacks or sudden withdrawal from daily life.
- Sleeping far too much or hardly at all.
- Inability to maintain their previous lifestyle or interests.
It’s important to remember that these signs don’t always look the same for everyone. Listen and observe for any unusual behavior.
How to Help Someone with Mental Health Issues: Trying Breeze
To help someone with mental health issues, you don’t want to overwhelm them. Yet you shouldn’t stay silent either. In moments like these, Breeze Wellbeing can help. All the features of the app are designed to be non-intrusive, yet considerate of personal struggles. Here’s how you can use it together:
Journaling Together
Encourage your loved one to try journaling in the app, but make it less intimidating by starting with your own example. Show them how you picked a prompt. For example, you show them a prompt, “What made me smile today?” and your short note with a photo of them.
Share how it felt to write it out and what you discovered. This demonstrates that journaling isn’t as heavy. Expressive writing can significantly decrease depressive signs already on day 5, but if continued, the benefits can persist for at least 4 weeks [2].
Mood Tracker
The mood tracker can be particularly powerful. You might share how it helped you identify emotions that you didn’t understand at first. For example, vigilance, remorse, or serenity.
Seeing emotions visually mapped out can help your friend realize that maybe they weren’t sad all of this time, but too anxious about their future. Then, it’ll be easier for them to talk about feelings that otherwise remain vague.
Self-Discovery Tests
One way to help someone with mental health issues is to try Breeze’s self-discovery tests. Understanding yourself is one of the best ways to start healing. Since the Breeze Wellbeing’s tests range from lighthearted (like humor style quizzes) to deeper ones, it’s highly recommended to avoid heavy topics like toxic traits.
Instead, explore quirky, positive quizzes together. Once they feel comfortable, you might gently introduce more reflective tests and discuss the results together. This way, self-discovery feels less like an evaluation and more like a conversation.
Relaxation Through Play
Use relaxing mini-games in the Breeze app. Even if they don’t want to “play,” you can simply turn on something like Calming Waters. The sound of waves and soothing visuals can run in the background while you chat or sit together.
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Other Ways to Help Someone with Mental Health Issues
While apps like Breeze can be the first step to approach your loved one, a real-life connection remains irreplaceable. Supporting someone with mental health struggles through consistent, small acts of care. Here are some practical ways to help:
- Talk and don’t be afraid of hard talks.
First, let them know you’re worried, but avoid making assumptions. A simple, “I’ve noticed you’ve been quieter lately. How are you doing?” would be a very useful start because the first part shows your care, and the second one invites them to a conversation. They might or might not share straightaway, but be prepared to hear something hurtful.
- Show support through actions.
Don’t just say you’re there for them, prove it. Sit with them during difficult moments, and help with errands. Every person likes to be seen and appreciated. Especially if you take off their mental load during difficult times.
- Treat them as you normally would.
One common mistake is to be overly polite or isolate them unintentionally. Continue inviting them to events, calling them, or simply chatting about everyday topics. It reminds them that they are needed.
- Listen without trying to fix.
You don’t need to have all the answers. In fact, telling them what they should do can feel dismissive. You hear it as “helpful advice,” they hear it as “Don’t they think I already thought of that?” Listen, validate their emotions, and try to understand their perspective.
- Collect helpful resources
If they ever ask for support, you’ll want to be ready. Gather contact details for local therapists, crisis hotlines, or support groups, but don’t force it on them. Keep these resources handy in case they bring up wanting help.
- Offer Practical Help
Someone who needs help with their mental health issues is likely to experience mental load. Mental load is all the invisible work the brain does in the background, and certain mental health conditions can significantly increase mental load [3].
Offering to cook a meal, help with paperwork, or do household chores together can ease this. What you should try is to create a steady, compassionate presence that helps them feel less alone.
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What Not to Do to Someone with Mental Health Issues
Supporting someone you care about also means knowing what not to do. Even with the best intentions, certain behaviors can push them away.
- Don’t impose help.
You can’t force someone into talking, therapy, or treatment before they’re ready. If you do force them to talk, they won’t be genuine, which will make them feel even worse due to masking. Pressuring backfires, making them feel judged or misunderstood.
- Don’t schedule appointments without consent.
While it might feel proactive to book a doctor or therapy session, doing so without their permission can take away their sense of control. Suggest options and offer to go with them. If they don’t want to do it now, keep the contacts in case they agree to do it later.
- Don’t center yourself.
The main rule in helping someone with mental health issues is to center their experiences. It can be painful to see someone sad, but avoid framing their problems as something they’re doing to you. Statements like, “You’re making me so worried,” or “I can’t handle this,” can increase their guilt and isolation.
- Don’t assume you know best.
Even if you’ve read up on mental health or use the Breeze app every day, resist the urge to act like the expert. Each person’s experience is unique, and the most helpful thing you can do is listen rather than dictate.
Why It Is Important to Help Someone with Mental Health Issues
Mental health challenges thrive in silence, leaving people feeling isolated and hopeless. Reaching out to someone who is going through something makes a life-changing difference. It shows them somebody out there thinks about them. And they can hold onto this in their hardest moments.
Early support also increases the chances of recovery. But don’t forget that your well-being as a person who helps someone with mental issues matters equally. You should take care of yourself. And if a person consistently refuses help, you can’t do anything about this. It’s their choice. You made what you could.