How to cope with change
Get useful tools and strategies to help you cope with change and care for your mental health.
Read moreHere are some practical tips and tools to help men dealing with mental ill health and emotional issues.
Relationships and connections are a basic and core need for all of us, but for someone dealing with mental or emotional issues they are vital.
As a family member, friend or carer, you are one of the primary sources of support, advice and therapy for someone who is experiencing emotional difficulty or mental ill health. The support you can offer to help men is one of the most important factors in managing, improving and maintaining health and wellbeing.
“The support you can offer to help men is one of the most important factors in managing, improving and maintaining health and wellbeing.”
The power of sharing and discussing thoughts and feelings is a well-documented method of tackling the challenges in our lives.
When you’re close to someone, gradual changes can be easy to miss. Sometimes people don’t reveal all their thoughts and feelings. You cannot always expect to know when someone needs help, but you can learn how to recognise the signs of someone needing help and ways you can assist.
While symptoms of someone in difficulty vary, the following signs are among the more common:
As a trusted confidant or support, it is important that you allow the person you care about the space and opportunity to discuss their thoughts and feelings. Make yourself available to talk when they need it.
Patience, care and encouragement from others is vital. Just by spending time with someone, you can make a big difference to how they manage their feelings. Spending time with your loved one lets them know you care, and can help you understand what they’re going through.
If you’re aware of the problem or your loved one already has a diagnosis, prepare yourself by learning as much as you can about the illness and its treatment, and consider what you can reasonably do to support the person. There’s a lot of information on the Internet, but view it with caution. Find trusted and reputable sources of information.
When it comes time to talk:
If you need help or advice on how best to support someone you care about, our trained counsellors can help. We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Call us on 1300 78 99 78 or access online counselling
Get useful tools and strategies to help you cope with change and care for your mental health.
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