How can You Help a Friend to Get Over a Low Phase?
We need to talk more often about the mental health of our family and friends.
Firstly, Mental health discussion should happen across all ages and genders.
“Do not limit and label it.”
Know that not everyone is, blessed with warm surroundings and a comfortable life. This thought may help you to be kind. Did you notice any of your family members are continually struggling with normal behaviour? Have you tried talking to them one to one without judgement?
“In a world where you can be anything, Be Kind.”
The image says,” one in five people get into depression.” It has multiple stages. I have suffered and also saw my close friend going through it. I will write my experience of getting into depression and coming out of it.
Following are the start of getting into the trap of mental illness.
- Overthinking: It can start by overthinking the small situation. It may have started with over expectation from a person and getting into depression if not treated the way you expected.
- Isolation: You start framing your personality based on someone’s opinion. It may make you feel less confident, push you to loneliness. It can trigger confusion.
- Self-doubt: You start doubting the ability to achieve. It may lead to non-action and negativity. You are afraid of starting new things.
- Lack of Interest: You are hardly showing interest in your things or in the hobbies which used to give you happiness, maybe because you have started finding the end of everything as brutal reality.
- Behaviour change: You have changed with your family; you are not happy with their attention. You want to hide and keep it to yourself mostly. You are sleeping too much or too less; you are not eating correctly or overeating. You are avoiding changes in general.
What did I notice in My Friend? —
All of a sudden, he changed his communication style with me. I thought he might have found something more exotic; he may need space to explore the more. But, He was getting suspicious in his behaviour.
Being just a friend, I let that change happen and accepted. However, I kept on talking to him. I was expecting him to be vocal about need and desire. It bothered me, but It made me concerned about him. Eventually, it resulted in low self-esteem, stressed and guilt in him.
From the beginning, I knew that something is not right with him; he is changing negatively. Hence, I could stay throughout with him in all ups and downs. Later, it helped him to gain his confidence, routine and positive mind frame.
It took him a year to come back to me and talk. I heard, spoke to him. He did have the desire to get out of all the mess he got into over the year. He never accepted the root cause of his situation, but he did change his way.
How can you get back to a healthy life? —
- Talking
- Laughing at serious things
- Taking bit too lightly
- Changing the surrounding/ Changing people
- Observing the vibes
- Take your own time to feel good or bad
How to Flag mental illness? —
In India, kids are hiding most of the things from parents. When I saw my friend falling into depression, I told him that if he doesn’t change the daily low talking habit, I will tell his family, which I eventually did. I noticed that after I flagged it to his family, he slowly started behaving normally.
I have flagged it at the beginning of the disaster.
It did work; he realised something is not going right and worked hard to build a healthy routine in the next 5 to 6 months.
Your warmth, care and understanding can help your friends and family live a happy and prosperous life.
Love,
Amita Chaurasia
