It takes courage to take that first step towards getting support for a mental health difficulty. People can feel afraid or embarrassed.
There are things you can do to help when someone you know is getting support.
Try to make specific offers of help, such as:
- going with them to the support service
- making phone calls on their behalf - if they want you to
- driving them to their appointment
Going with someone to a support service appointment
Make sure that:
- the person in need of help knows you are going with them to the appointment
- you have their permission to speak to the health professional
Speak with them before the appointment about what they want to get from the appointment.
You can help them write down their main concerns and any questions they have for the health professional.
Talk to the health professional
The health professional may tell you it is not appropriate for you to sit in on the appointment. Ask if you can talk to them after the appointment or meet them at another time. Use this time to give them as much information as you have.
It can be very helpful for the health professional to hear your views on how the person is doing, as well as hearing from the person themself. You may notice different things that need to be shared.
Be clear about your concerns
Tell the health professional about your concerns. Tell them what you have noticed.
Always tell them if the person has:
- self-harmed
- talked about suicidal thoughts or plans
- engaged in risky behaviours - for example, verbal or physical aggression or dangerous driving
- shown dangerous self-neglect towards themselves - for example, not washing, not eating, or not taking medicine
- shown dangerous neglect towards dependents - for example, children (if they have any)
It can be helpful to tell the person in need of support what you'll say to the health professional. Sharing information openly is often the best approach - unless you think this might increase the risk of them harming themselves or someone else.
Ask about support
Ask if there are any leaflets that talk about the support options.
Staying safe
If you are concerned for a person's safety, make sure you let the health professional know this. This will help them make clear decisions on how to support their safety.
Ask for advice on how to keep the person safe between appointments. For example, if you need to remove medicines from the house for a short time, find out where you can take them.
If the person you're concerned about has suicidal thoughts, tell the health professional and ask for information on managing the risk of suicide.
Help is important
Take all the help you are offered after going to a support service.
You may need to:
- keep communicating with the health professionals
- try other support options