When someone needs help but is not willing to get help
It is not uncommon for a person with a mental illness to deny they are ill or that they need help. This is particularly true for people with a psychotic illness or Bipolar Disorder. This may be due to their lack of insight or awareness due to the illness. They may refuse to seek help for their illness and believe that it will fix itself or that it doesn’t exist.
How you speak to the person and approach the subject may be a critical factor in convincing them to seek the help they need. Be aware of how the person is behaving and any changes that may be of concern.
Some signs and symptoms that someone may be mentally unwell includes if they:
- are overly suspicious of others
- see or hear things which are not real
- have thoughts which are not in tune with reality
- have serious disturbance of thought
- behave significantly differently
- are considered a danger to themselves and/or others
- talk about wanting to harm self and/or suicide
- talk about feeling very down and nothing can help
- are often tearful or overly sensitive
- are overly anxious, scared and fearful about situations or objects
- lose interest in day to day activities
- have trouble sleeping at night or needs very little sleep
- stop reaching out to family and friends and has isolated themselves
- may have started using an excessive amount of alcohol or other drugs
It can be difficult to support someone who you feel may need help especially if the person may not be willing to access support. If a person is legally an adult then ultimately it is up to them to seek treatment and accept help unless they fit criteria under the Mental Health Act to be scheduled into hospital as an involuntary patient.
There are some ways you can offer support to a person who may be experiencing a mental illness or mental disorder to encourage them to seek support and treatment.
Ways to help someone who may have a mental illness:
- Find a suitable time to discuss your concerns with the person and let them know you are on their side
- Talk sensitively to the person about the change in behaviours you have noticed (try to avoid blaming and accusing the person)
- Try to be as understanding as possible regarding how the person may have a range of emotions regarding accessing support
- Offer to go to a GP with the person as a starting point to access help
- Educate yourself about mental illness and the type of professionals who can help
- Develop a plan on how you would respond if the person’s behaviour escalates to the point where they are a danger to themselves or someone else
Professionals
- General Practitioner (GP)—a GP is always a good starting point for locating support and further referrals to more specialist professionals.
- Psychologist— A health professional who prescribes therapy or counselling as treatment for mental health problems.
- Psychiatrist—A Medical Practitioner with specialist training in psychiatry who is able to prescribe medication for medical conditions.
- Social Worker—A Social Worker is a health professional that provides support to people and their families going through a crisis point. The social worker is able to provide practical support, counselling, information and emotional support.
- Counsellor—a counsellor is a health professional that provides supportive listening and emotional support to individuals dealing with difficulties of varied nature as well as support given to families.
- Mental Health Nurse— A specialised type of nurse who cares for people with mental illness. The term ‘psychiatric nurse’ is also used.
- Mental Health Team—community mental health teams comprise of multi-disciplinary professionals and provide comprehensive mental health services to people experiencing mental illness.
- NSW Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511 (24/7 to get in touch with local mental health service)
Hospitals
Hospitals often have acute mental health wards to help people experiencing acute mental health symptoms.
Family and Friends
Family and friends can be of great support to someone experiencing a mental illness and help link to support services in the community.
Religious leaders
Religious leaders can provide guidance, counselling and help link people to further support services in the community.
Support Group Coordinator
A person who has specialised knowledge in a specific area of mental health and organises a group of consumers to meet together and gain social and emotional support with their illness.
Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes. As neither brochures nor websites can diagnose people it is always important to obtain professional advice and/or help when needed.
This information may be reproduced with an acknowledgement to WayAhead – Mental Health Association. The Association encourages feedback and welcomes comments about the information provided.
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