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Whether your friend is experiencing anxiety, depression or another challenge, learning how to help a friend with mental health concerns can ensure you offer the right kind of support while also taking care of yourself.

Ahead of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, in which the national theme is “Community”, this week guest writer Beth Rush returns for her fourth article for Calmer, sharing an overview of different mental health conditions, effective communication strategies to help a friend in need, and practical ways to offer them support.

Understanding an overview of mental health conditions

Mental health conditions are more common than most people realise, and 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Mental health challenges can affect anyone, regardless of their age, background or lifestyle, and our environment and circumstances can play a significant part in contributing to how we feel on a daily basis.

TYPES OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS

Some of the most commonly experienced conditions include:

• Anxiety Disorders: This vary from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, to Phobia, to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to name a few, and involves excessive worry, fear or nervousness that can take the joy out of daily living.

• Depression: There are many forms of depression which involve a consistent feeling of sadness, low mood or detachment from daily life, losing interest in things and a sense of hopelessness.

• Bipolar Disorder: This condition is characterized by significant mood swings between periods of elevated (manic or hypomanic) mood and periods of depression, impacting energy, mood and daily activities.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): This condition involves persistent, intrusive thoughts, often leading to compulsive behaviours like checking or counting things numerous times as a way to feel more in control of your circumstances.

  
  

Your Role as a Friend

Although globally we have come a long way in public understanding and awareness of mental health, sadly one of the biggest challenges people with mental health conditions still face is stigma. Many people don’t fully understand what these experiences entail, leading to judgment or misconceptions — like assuming someone is just being “lazy” or “overreacting.” Stigma isolates people, making their struggles even harder to manage and leaving them with feelings of shame.

If you have a friend that is struggling with their mental health, your role isn’t to diagnose them or “solve” their struggles — it is to offer understanding, kindness, patience and a judgment-free space. Mental health struggles can feel overwhelming, and your friend needs someone to support them with unconditional kindness, which can make them feel seen, valued and less alone.