Tag: Support

Supporting A Loved One With Mental Health

If you know someone living with mental health, you don’t have to feel your obliged to say something to help them feel better right away (recovery, like most achievements and goals, don’t happen over night). And it’s okay if you don’t know anything on mental illness and how to help them deal with it. Just you coming as you are (because they too are coming as they are especially as they are revealing their mental illness to you), showing up and comforting them is all they need right now.

What IS Rape Culture?

Never, EVER, EVER! God forbid you ever under go it, it’s a confusing, difficult and upsetting experience. It’s a horrible feeling. Look, while I understand we put all these expectations in order to “understand” why good or bad things happen. But sometimes all having “expectations”  can lead to misjudgment, miscommunication and exclusion between especially for the people that need feel loved, cherished, and respected. These people can include those who have undergone sexual assault/rape.

It isn’t fair to think it’s not surprising when a woman wearing a crop top and mini skirt gets raped. It’s not fair to think that just because a woman went to her date’s house that is was no wonder she got raped. It is not fair to think that just because she was intoxicated from drinking beer she got raped. It’s not fair to think that a black woman got raped, because black women are known to be “promiscuous” and “exotic”. For those many unfair comments toward women who have faced sexual assault/rape circumstance, it needs to stop now. The only way we can stop “endorsing” rape culture is by loving and supporting those who have gone sexual assault/rape, go after the perpetrator and not the rape victim, and teach our young how to be aware of sexual predators. In this way, we can the senseless violence toward women and even men.

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Consent Is Simple

A butt, boob, hand, vagina, and penis…what do they have to do with sexual assault awareness/consent? Well to protect you from making a mistake when with a partner or when you feel your partner is not respecting your feelings about not engaging in certain sexual activities.

Project Consent is a non-profit organization that began in 2014 in  Kansas to better help the public better understand rape culture and sexual assault. They use various forms of communication on these heavy, but often trivialized topics in order  to educate various global communities. These forms of communication involve their social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, merchandise (all proceeds benefit the Project Consent organization), guest submissions (includes others or their loved ones impacted by sexual assault crimes), and online news letter. The site also offers external resources that help you and/or loved ones know their rights and know who talk to after sexual assault.

So remember if you partner says “no” to any sexual activities, don’t be a boob (pun intended), respect their wishes.

For anymore more questions on this organization, click on the link below:

Project Consent

 

 

Thanks for Being My Anchor

For those in a relationship right now, thank that special someone for always keeping you grounded during your mental health journey! And for those not in a relationship (or not in a good one), this is what YOU should experience. This is what love is suppose to look like when living with mental illness. I know my boyfriend helps me out a lot when I get like this and I am really grateful that he grounds me:

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Always Keep Fighting 22

When someone you love or heck— a similar person from you has mental illness, it can be hard to know what to say them. However, if the love is shown in the wrong way, it can cause a rift between  you and them, even you have good intentions on wanting to support them. But the thing to realize  is:

  1. Saying presumptuous things on what you think about the person and especially mental health in general, well… is a boneheaded move to make
  2. Even if you have mental illness or even a mental illness similar to the other person, what must be realized is that not all recovery journeys are made equal. Trust me, I am kinda guilty on that one.

So can we show love to someone who is battling a mental illness? Okay, for starters:

  1. You don’t have to “know everything” especially with mental health.
  2. Respect each individuals recovery journey.
  3. You don’t have to talk to them all the time to show you care.
  4. Have patience

You’re probably wondering, “Then how do I do it with out talking all the time?” It can be as simple as being there for that person (e.g. listen them –because sometimes that’s what people simple ones– or give them a hug).  And let me tell you, even though you may not think such a simple gesture helps especially when your loved one is experiencing a meltdown or psychosis or depression, it helps. And never goes under noticed nor appreciated. However, if you feel you are going to react inappropriately to a person’s mental health condition, walk away and cool off, before meeting back with the person. Or  even better, seek mental health organizations to better understand mental health and how to cope with  your loved one’s illness. There are many out there that can help you find better and more efficient ways on how to cope and deal with your loved one’s illness. For example, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers educational classes such as “Family to Family” that provides families and friends appropriate coping mechanisms to better handle their loved one’s mental health.

So don’t give up on that special someone’s mental illness; just find better ways to show the love and fondness that you have for them!

How To Support Someone Living with Mental Illness(es)

As a family member, significant other, or friend helping a loved one with mental illness is difficult, because you don’t know how to help them. You can’t see their emotional “wound” the way you can see a physical wound which makes it even more difficult. Some physical pains are already hard to understand, but mental illness….jeez, that’s like whole other level of understanding.

The article, “Supporting Recovery” on the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website provides information on how to approach loved ones living with mental illness. Although the message caters to families, friends, significant others, and even co-workers can use this as a guide to know how to relate with them.

For more information click on the link below:

Supporting Recovery