Mental Health Conversation Starters: Here’s How I Open Up
Caroline Samuelsen
| 3 min read
Mental health, anxiety and depression are topics many people shy away from because they can be uncomfortable to talk about. Breaking the stigma around mental health is extremely important because someone’s mental health is just as important as their physical health. Having conversations about it can help empower your family and friends to seek professional support for their health.
How to Help Someone Who Has Depression
You may not always know it, but the people around you could be struggling and they may not know how to reach out for help. These are a few ways that I reach out to a loved-one who is struggling:
Show You Care
Reaching out to a friend, family member or co-worker is sometimes all it takes for someone to feel supported. Life can get busy, so small actions like asking how somebody is doing or asking to get a coffee can go a long way. You could remember small things such as birthdays, big presentations at work and family events and ask about them. Being seen and remembered is something many people crave but don’t want to ask for.
Offer Hope
Similar to showing care, reminders that you are doing all right and that you are not alone can feel very good to receive. Discussing treatment options and how many people experience feelings of depression and loneliness can help your loved-one feel more normal and surrounded by love. Anxiety and depression are unfortunately common as more than 1 in 3of adults have reported experiencing symptoms, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey.
Offer to Help
An offer of help or support can be a wonderful thing to receive when struggling. Having someone take charge to figure out solutions for your struggles can motivate someone to get the care they need.
Questions to Ask Someone with Depression
When deepening your relationship with someone who has depression, there are some questions that you could ask to better support them. Starting a dialogue about how to best support your loved one can help them feel more comfortable discussing their mental health in the future with you and overall creating a supportive environment.
“I’ve been worried about you, can we talk?”
Sometimes, a loved one may not even know that their demeanor has changed around you. This question keeps things open-ended so the person you are asking does not feel called out or put on the spot. They can share as little or as much information as they see fit.
“I want to be here for you. Do you want to talk about it?”
This is a great mental health conversation starter because it is open ended. This conversation starter also tells the person you are there for them, which can help them feel more supported.
“If you don’t feel comfortable talking to me, is there someone else you’d prefer to talk to?”
There is a chance that your loved one may not want to open up to you. You can be a sounding board for them as they navigate who they trust and who they want to open up to. Recommend parents, siblings, friends and other people in their life who care about them and would want to help them.
