As mental health becomes less of a taboo, more people find themselves aware of what mental illness truly is.
According to National Alliance on Mental Illness, there are about 43.8 million adults in the U.S. who suffer from mental illness. That’s one in every five individuals who have a mental illness, making it possible for everyone to know at least one person with a mental illness.
“Knowing someone with mental illness has made me more aware of other people’s feelings,” said Jack Saller, a sophomore computer science major from Corona, California. “It’s made me more sympathetic.
Saller has struggled to help both friends and family members cope with mental illness.
“I’ve found that just being willing to talk with them about how they are feeling has helped a lot,” Saller said. “But there’s also the main sources as well, like the different prevention hotlines.”
There are national hotlines for people in crisis including the general crisis hotline for anything critical, the suicide hotline run through the Trevor Project‘s suicide hotline, and other domestic violence and abuse hotlines. These online chats and phone lines give people the opportunity to reach out to trained professionals in their moment of need.
Ryan Ruud, a licensed clinical social worker, said from his experiences the best thing you can do for a friend or family member is to know the resources available.
“I think that if you’re a friend of someone who might be suicidal, or might have anxiety or depression, if you can, refer them to a professional that is experienced or knowledgeable in that area,” Ruud said.
Ruud said the first thing he would do in any situation is investigate the severity of the mental illness and its circumstances. If the person is suicidal or in crisis, it is best to guide them toward hotlines and professionals that can help them in that moment.
For people suffering from depression, finding local group therapy is an effective treatment and helps to fight off the desire to isolate themselves, Ruud said.
“What’s most important is figuring out the logistics,” Ruud said. “A lot of times it’s needing to get down to the funding source, like insurance, private pay, or Medicaid.”
Ruud said some facilities will offer scholarships for individuals seeking help, but these scholarships are only for a limited amount of time.
Although his experiences with friends and family who have mental illness hasn’t noticeably affected his mental health, Saller said it has made him more aware of people’s feelings. He said he cares more and wants to understand what people are feeling and what he can do to help them more.
“Even though it’s horrible to think of, if everyone knew someone [close to them] with mental illness I think the world would be much more sympathetic to the people around them,” Saller said.
Denise Ruiz, a freshman elementary education major from Riverside, said helping others get through their hard times makes it easier for her to do the same.
“It’s not comparing who has a better life,” Ruiz said. “It’s learning how to get through tough times by watching your friends do the same.”
Ruiz said some of her friends and family who suffer from mental illness are the people she looks up to most.
“We learn about mental illness and we hear about it as if it’s a myth,” Ruiz said. “But when you know someone who has it and you watch them go through these extreme highs and lows, you [become] inspired by their strength.”
Ruiz said if she could tell her friends and family anything, it would be that having a mental illness doesn’t make you weak but incredibly strong.
“They’re doing the things I do every day, but they do it even when they’re battling themselves,” Ruiz said.
