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A friend posted this, this morning. If I were this author's editor, I'd change a few things, but ... in substance ... I think it's very good stuff.
I've been working on #'s 3 and 4. Sadly, it surely is a weeding out process -- who will and who will not read short, crisp articles in an effort to better understand what we are really dealing with.
You definitely get the feeling that some people believe
it's contagious :-)
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WHEN YOUR GUY FRIENDS DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE:
AUGUST 22, 2013 BY STANLEY POPOVICH
4 Tips to making living with Mental Health issues easier
You realize that you have depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, addiction, OCD, or some other mental health disorder. You go see a counselor to get help. Eventually your relatives and closest friends find out your condition. The problem is that some of them get on your case and do not understand what you are going through.
Here are four ways to deal with this situation.
1. Listen To The Professionals And Not Your Friends
Your friends may mean well, but when it comes down to it, the professionals know your situation more than anyone. They know what you are going through and are trained to deal with your situation. Your friends do not have the answers to your medical condition. When you have questions about your mental health situation consult with your counselor or other mental health professional. Listen to them and follow their advice and not your friends.
2. Your Goal Is To Get Better
Your goal is to get better, period. Dont waste your time arguing with your friends or relatives who are giving you a difficult time. This isnt a public relations event where you need to get everyones approval. This is your life and youre the one suffering. Your main focus is for you to get better. This is the number one thing.
3. Tell Your Friends To Learn About Your Condition
Tell your friends and relatives that the best way for them to help you is to learn about your condition. They could talk to a counselor, they could do family therapy, they could read some good books or join you at a support group to learn about your condition. They wont know exactly the pain your suffering but they will have some idea of what you are going through. If some of your friends wont do this, then stay away from them. They will only make things worse.
4. Distance Yourself From People Who Give You A Hard Time
This may seem cruel but if some of your friends or relatives are hindering your progress in getting better, then kindly tell them to follow step Three or else tell them to stay away and go bother someone else. Distance yourself from those people who wont make an effort to help understand what you are going through. You need to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. Again, if you have problems or issues with a particular person, you can always ask your counselor for advice on how to deal with them.
Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your depression and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future.
Remember your goal is to get better. Treat your mental health issues as a medical condition. If you have a medical condition, you go see a doctor to help treat it. Same thing applies to your mental health issues. Go see a professional and focus on getting better. Dont try to get everyones approval.
I've been working on #'s 3 and 4. Sadly, it surely is a weeding out process -- who will and who will not read short, crisp articles in an effort to better understand what we are really dealing with.
You definitely get the feeling that some people believe
it's contagious :-)
----
WHEN YOUR GUY FRIENDS DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE:
AUGUST 22, 2013 BY STANLEY POPOVICH
4 Tips to making living with Mental Health issues easier
You realize that you have depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, addiction, OCD, or some other mental health disorder. You go see a counselor to get help. Eventually your relatives and closest friends find out your condition. The problem is that some of them get on your case and do not understand what you are going through.
Here are four ways to deal with this situation.
1. Listen To The Professionals And Not Your Friends
Your friends may mean well, but when it comes down to it, the professionals know your situation more than anyone. They know what you are going through and are trained to deal with your situation. Your friends do not have the answers to your medical condition. When you have questions about your mental health situation consult with your counselor or other mental health professional. Listen to them and follow their advice and not your friends.
2. Your Goal Is To Get Better
Your goal is to get better, period. Dont waste your time arguing with your friends or relatives who are giving you a difficult time. This isnt a public relations event where you need to get everyones approval. This is your life and youre the one suffering. Your main focus is for you to get better. This is the number one thing.
3. Tell Your Friends To Learn About Your Condition
Tell your friends and relatives that the best way for them to help you is to learn about your condition. They could talk to a counselor, they could do family therapy, they could read some good books or join you at a support group to learn about your condition. They wont know exactly the pain your suffering but they will have some idea of what you are going through. If some of your friends wont do this, then stay away from them. They will only make things worse.
4. Distance Yourself From People Who Give You A Hard Time
This may seem cruel but if some of your friends or relatives are hindering your progress in getting better, then kindly tell them to follow step Three or else tell them to stay away and go bother someone else. Distance yourself from those people who wont make an effort to help understand what you are going through. You need to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. Again, if you have problems or issues with a particular person, you can always ask your counselor for advice on how to deal with them.
Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your depression and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future.
Remember your goal is to get better. Treat your mental health issues as a medical condition. If you have a medical condition, you go see a doctor to help treat it. Same thing applies to your mental health issues. Go see a professional and focus on getting better. Dont try to get everyones approval.
Have learned these 4 things the hard way; but my guess is there are some folks here who may benefit from seeming this stated so simply and clearly.
The last paragraph nails it.
BTW- this reminds me of an idea I had for a screenplay. I love the concept, but have no idea how to organize a plot around it. I'll tell you once I've got a more crystalized synopsis! : D
Odd how lazy people can be at times re wanting to learn about the illness, huh? That surprised me. They wanted me to do all the work of teaching them about it. Not realizing, heck, Im just learning about it myself. Having the doggone disorder didnt make me an automatic expert about it.
That thing about the goal being to get better. I wanted for everybody to like me AND to get better, too. Choosing between them was tough, but I did choose getting better. After falling down a few times.
Thanks for posting this.