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How to Change the Conversation

All of us can help chip away at the stigma of mental illness one conversation at a time. Here are a few things you can do to help start a conversation that could change someone's life:

Talk about resources. Mental illness is treatable, but people need to know where to turn for help. Online screening tools, hotlines, and support groups are free of charge and available for everyone. If someone needs therapy or medication, talking to a physician is usually a good place to start.

Discuss strategies for building mental strength. Practice mental strength exercises that help you deal with uncomfortable emotions and negative thinking. Share your strategies with others, and ask how they handle issues of self-doubt, feelings of guilt, or anxiety.

Incorporate conversations about mental health into the workday. Mental health issues affect everything in the workplace from productivity to health insurance costs, so it's a great incentive for leaders to open the door to conversations about how to recognize and treat problems as well as how to take preventive measures.

Think about mental health as a continuum. Rather than assume you're either mentally healthy or mentally ill, acknowledge that we all have ups and downs in life, and there are times when your mental health will be better and times it will be worse.

Talk about the way mental illness is portrayed in movies and media. Unfortunately, many stories involving crime reference the perpetrator's mental illness. Movies, TV shows, and video games tend to portray people with mental illness as dangerous. Talk openly with others about the fact that most people with mental illness are not a danger to anyone.

Share your story. Talk openly about periods in your life when you've felt depressed or anxious. Make it clear to anyone listening that you believe mental illness can happen to anyone and it's important to seek help.

Offer to help others. Sometimes, people with mental illness struggle to recognize when they need help. Others don't know where to turn or what to do. Offer to help someone schedule an appointment with their doctor and offer to take them to the appointment. That type of support could be just the help someone needs to reach out to a professional.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/b...einforcing-the