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How NOT to talk to people with mental health issues
Given that almost half of adults 18 and older in the world right will experience (or has experienced) some kind of mental health issue/disorder in their lifetimes, we probably all know someone (or a number of someones) who are afflicted with one or more of these disorders. We may even have an issue or two of our own, whether or not officially diagnosed. Rates of mental illness have been creeping up across the globe, although whether that is due to more people being diagnosed, a greater awareness of mental health issues, remains to be debated.
The non-debatable truth is, most of us probably know someone who has struggled with at least one mental disorder, if not more. Unfortunately, too many people are uninformed and have absolutely no idea how to deal with or how to talk to their friends/neighbors/loved ones who are dealing with a mental crisis. I personally know several people who actually doubt that mental health disorders are real. Apparently they are lucky enough to not have any such issues, or are undiagnosed, or they’re in denial … and subsequently as a result they are self-medicating, as we know many people with these issues — diagnosed or not — tend to do.
Because there are so many individuals who are not in the know, it is my wish to lend a hand (two of them, actually, as I’m typing this article) to help those who might need a primer on approaching others…
