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STATEWIDE--The holiday season can put a strain on your mental health. It can also be a time where you’re seeing loved ones or friends have a hard time, but there are ways to help.
“I think that a lot of mental health issues are exacerbated during the holiday season,” said Stephanie Anderson, chief operating officer at Mental Health America of Indiana, in an interview with IndyPolitics.
Confronting mental health struggles for yourself and others can be a difficult thing. If you notice someone you care about struggling, Anderson says it’s important that you pay attention to the details.
“If you notice your loved one is doing excessive drinking or excessive substance use, maybe they’re taking more of their anxiety medication or prescription pain reliever than usual, that’s usually a sign that we’re walking into a problem here,” said Anderson.
Anderson says the best way to talk to someone with any kind of issue is to build up trust.
“If you are with a loved one and that loved one trusts you, having that conversation from a place of caring and that’s non-judgmental is a great place to start,” said Anderson.
The best strategy, says Anderson, is to not say the mental illness (depression, anxiety, etc) out loud, but to say something to the effect of “I’ve noticed some changes in you. I’m not here to judge you. I just want you to know how much I care about you. How can we address this together?’
In an upcoming piece, you’ll hear about the dangers of social media and how they can negatively affect mental health, especially in children.
