How to address someone with Mental Illness
Step 1. Be careful what words you use. Mentally ill people are human beings first and foremost. If someone doesn't like to be called a particular word, be respectful and use the words that are safer and less triggering. Words are powerful. For example. I don't like the word manic. It has been used as a weapon against me in the past, and it sets me off. I also know what it means in greek, so it is like an insult or slight.
Step 2. Don't make a pariah out of the mentally ill. Help us. get us treatment. A pariah is like a mark on us, making us socially deviant and an outcast. In some countries around the world, this action dehumanizes the person to the point where they can be killed without consequence. I watched a video where the Islamic state tossed people off of water towers because of mental illness.
Step 3. Don't treat us any differently. We just want to be treated like human beings, not as "crazy people."
Step 4. Don't be afraid. Most of us are not dangerous. Many people with mental illness are living in a hell no one could possibly imagine. Be sympathetic and compassionate.
Step 5. LISTEN! even if we are saying delusional or nonsensical things, we are still trying to convey a message that we want understood.
Step 7. Don't treat our spiritual and religious beliefs as delusion. Faith in God can be one of the most healing and beneficial beliefs someone who struggles has. Treating these beliefs as delusional can do immense damage to someone's spirit and stability.
Step 8. Be kind and patient. We are just trying to survive and get better. Some of us do a better job than others.
Step 9. Try different things. If one medication does not work, try another. If it is too sedating, reduce the dose. If therapy is helpful, encourage it. If excersize and diet are the way to go for some, help someone get on track.
Step 10. Advocate for us. Many people with mental illness can't advocate for themselves because of our cognitive impairments and states of mind. Don't treat us like cattle or undesirables. Some countries had programs that eradicated people with mental illness in the past. Don't make the same mistakes. Heal the sick, don't throw them away.
Step 2. Don't make a pariah out of the mentally ill. Help us. get us treatment. A pariah is like a mark on us, making us socially deviant and an outcast. In some countries around the world, this action dehumanizes the person to the point where they can be killed without consequence. I watched a video where the Islamic state tossed people off of water towers because of mental illness.
Step 3. Don't treat us any differently. We just want to be treated like human beings, not as "crazy people."
Step 4. Don't be afraid. Most of us are not dangerous. Many people with mental illness are living in a hell no one could possibly imagine. Be sympathetic and compassionate.
Step 5. LISTEN! even if we are saying delusional or nonsensical things, we are still trying to convey a message that we want understood.
- Step 6. Don't take away our rights! Give us the same opportunities as the average person. Some of us can be very successful if allowed to be.
Step 7. Don't treat our spiritual and religious beliefs as delusion. Faith in God can be one of the most healing and beneficial beliefs someone who struggles has. Treating these beliefs as delusional can do immense damage to someone's spirit and stability.
Step 8. Be kind and patient. We are just trying to survive and get better. Some of us do a better job than others.
Step 9. Try different things. If one medication does not work, try another. If it is too sedating, reduce the dose. If therapy is helpful, encourage it. If excersize and diet are the way to go for some, help someone get on track.
Step 10. Advocate for us. Many people with mental illness can't advocate for themselves because of our cognitive impairments and states of mind. Don't treat us like cattle or undesirables. Some countries had programs that eradicated people with mental illness in the past. Don't make the same mistakes. Heal the sick, don't throw them away.
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