Talk Openly About Mental Illness

Be Ready for the Ups & Downs

Helping someone with mental health issues can put supporters on the proverbial “emotional rollercoaster.” Don’t give up. Stay connected and be sure to take care of yourself too.

Some days you feel that you know just what to do to be helpful and it seems to be working. Other days, it can feel like everything is going backward, and you feel frustrated, helpless, anxious, or overwhelmed.

Practice empathy, not just sympathy. It will give you the emotional space needed to be an empathetic supporter and serve as a reminder that this isn’t about you.

Finally, take steps that give you the strength, resilience, and energy to be an effective supporter. Offering care to someone starts with caring for yourself.

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Share Hope

Hope is one of the most important gifts supporters can bring to the mental health journey. Your hope empowers the person you care about to begin to imagine a better life, even when they cannot envision it themselves.

Everyone can put together a vision of hope in their own words, no matter how severe their mental health condition. Help them write down their specific vision for the future. Recognize that hope can be fragile, and a person can be crushed by causal or even well-meaning comments. Support their vision, even if aspects seem unrealistic at first. Over time, the person may – as we all do – adjust the specifics to adapt to current realities and new opportunities.

When you can offer positive encouragement, the person you are trying to help will be more appreciative of your support and more likely to make progress.

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CELEBRATE EVERY VICTORY

A person’s mental health journey will likely last a lifetime. While there will be setbacks, there will also be triumphs. Recognize and applaud every step of progress, no matter how small.

Celebrating victories helps to make the mental health journey a more successful one. Recent research shows that confrontation and punishment are not drivers of long-term change and life success. What works? Accelerating access to positive reinforcement.

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Focus On Strengths

As a caring supporter, your most important opportunity is to reinforce strengths, not diminish them by finding flaws. Instead help your loved one feel and be stronger by acknowledging small steps forward and the work it took to achieve them.

To help you appreciate their effort, use a “strengths-based” approach to describing situations, rather than focusing on the negative.

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Ask & Listen

Express your desire to understand what the person is going through by asking questions and being fully present in the conversation.

Welcome them as they are. Ask to hear their story and how they’re feeling. Inquire about behaviors that seem unusual or concerning. Whether good or bad, their experience is their story, and important to respect.

Avoid acting without full knowledge of what has happened or how the person perceives it. Instead take time to listen carefully and gain empathetic understanding of the situation. That will allow you to be a more effective supporter and partner.

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DON’T TRY TO “FIX”

It’s not your job to “fix” the person. Your role is to be a great partner, helping them to stay focused and hopeful. You aren’t expected to be an expert or have all the answers. Remember, it is their journey, not yours.

Supporters can overcome the fixer mindset by practicing “empathetic detachment.” Empathize with their situation but embrace that you’re not responsible for changing it.

Instead, provide a safe space and allow them to determine what level of support will help them most at that point in time.

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Let your friends know that you are feeling like you

would like to talk.

Be strong by reaching out for support from

your friends and family.

If a friend is experiencing mental health concerns, you can provide valuable support by letting your friend know you are there to talk and listen.

MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS

HOW ARE YOU, REALLY?

Looking for a simple way to #GoFirst and start an open and honest conversation about mental health? Send this sticker to a friend, asking, “how are you, really?” and show your support by listening to what’s on their mind.

Talking about how we feel to those we love can help us feel supported and less alone. Try sharing your “current mood” with a friend. It can work both ways. If you open up, it might encourage them to do the same.

WANT TO TALK?

If you notice a friend or family member who doesn't seem quite like themselves lately, check in and start a conversation.

I'M HERE FOR YOU.

Check in on those around you every once in a while by sending this sticker and letting them know you truly care about how they’re doing.

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It’s okay
To say you’re

Not Okay

Okay to Say fuels open conversations about mental health. We provide resources that help people speak up, share hope, and find the support they need to start to feel better.

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Let’s Talk

GET INVOLVED

Get Support

Locate and get in touch with a mental health professional or mental health organization in your area.

Give Support

View tips on how you can provide support to a loved who is experiencing a mental health issue.

Specific Needs Resources

Browse specialized mental health resources.

Explore Okay to Say partnership opportunities and other ways you can fuel open conversation about mental health.

Send a sticker

If you think someone you love may be experiencing a mental health concern, and you’re not sure what to say, check out our Giphy stickers with suggested ways you can start a conversation.

24/7 Support is available & free

Reach out anytime for immediate support for you or a loved one.

Texas COVID-19 mental
health support line

833-986-1919

Brought to you by Texas Health
& Human Services

National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

En Español, 1-888-628-9454
If you are a Veteran, Press 1.

Crisis Text Hotline

Text “Hello” to 741-741

En Español, 1-888-628-9454
If you are a Veteran, Press 1.

Local Crisis Resources

Call 211

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Housing, Food, and More

Be Ready for the Ups & Downs

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Share Hope

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CELEBRATE EVERY VICTORY

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Focus On Strengths

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Ask & Listen

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DON’T TRY TO “FIX”

Share This Tip

It’s okay
To say you’re

Not Okay

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Mental Health
Resources