Who To Ask For Mental Health Support: With Susan Crooks
Learning how to ask for support — and how to get support — for mental health conditions is a crucial life skill. After all, one in every five people live with a mental illness of some kind. Countless high-functioning individuals struggle daily with depression, anxiety and other life-altering diseases, which can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness and apathy.
The question is: what kind of tools can we use to improve our mental health and the health of those we love? What’s more, who can we turn to when we need mental health support? We’re going to look at five different tactics to try when you’re going through a difficult mental health period.
Our guest on today’s episode of The Frame of Mind Coaching™ Podcast is Susan Crooks who, in honor of her son, founded an organization called Walt’s Waltz. Her mission is to destigmatize the conversation on mental health, create safe spaces for people who struggle with mental health conditions, and ultimately to spread a message of hope to reduce suffering.
Susan’s challenge is getting funding for her organization. They have accomplished a lot in just a couple of years, but Susan is not sure how to ask for financial support.
How to get support when you’re struggling with mental health
Take your mental health “temperature”
One of the first things you should do when you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health episode is to “take the temperature” of their current condition. This means assessing the severity of what you or they are going through — is this a small “funk,” or something more?
There are all types of mental health conditions, and each of them have their own warning signs. Learning more about specific indicators of mental un-wellness can help diagnose the seriousness of the situation at hand, and knowing the severity can help you accurately treat what you’re going through more effectively.
One caveat before we move on: we aren’t always the best judges of our own mental health situation. Talking to a professional, such as a therapist or psychiatrist, is absolutely crucial if you’re dealing with intense feelings of depression, despair or anxiety. The following tips (and this entire article) is specifically for those living with mild-to-medium mental health conditions that can be addressed using non-clinical means.
Start gratitude journaling
One way to get mental health support involves gratitude journaling. Journaling itself is a proven de-stressor, and it’s been known to help those with mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Try starting up your own journal (or journaling with a pal) and start writing down everything you’re grateful for.
Alternatively, you can write about other positive things, such as everything that went right today, or what your favorite TV shows are and why. The subject matter isn’t as important as the thinking behind it: if you start to consistently notice and appreciate all the things you’re thankful for, you can begin to “rewire” your brain to naturally pick up on all the positive stimuli in your environment, instead of the negative factors weighing you down.
At the same time, journaling can help you break out of circuitous thinking patterns that are harmful and self-destructive. That’s because it’s easy to repeatedly tell ourselves negative things in our heads, but it’s a lot more difficult to write them down over and over again — in fact, the very act of putting negative self-talk into written sentences can make those thoughts seem far less consequential.
Invest in a life coach
If your mental health struggles are tied to a specific facet of your life, such as your financial situation or romantic life, a life coach may be able to help. Life coaches don’t take the place of therapists; instead of reflecting on past experiences, a life coach helps you structure what you plan to do in the future.
While a therapist is the right answer for severe mental health conditions, a life coach is wonderful for young professionals or other high-functioning individuals who deal with chronic, low-grade anxiety or depression. A coach will challenge your negative thoughts, help you see new opportunities and stop you in your tracks should you end up in a circular-thinking spiral.
Consult with a trusted group of friends
“No man is a failure who has friends.” Put another way, nothing is as hard in company as it is alone. A solid group of friends, coworkers, community members or family can be absolutely essential in maintaining and improving your mental health. The problem is, many people who suffer from mental health conditions don’t think their inner circles want to hear about their struggles — they think they might come off as a burden.
In fact, the opposite is true. Sharing your mental health struggles with people you love and trust is far more likely to strengthen your bond than keeping them to yourself. Your circle will feel grateful that you’re able to open up to them, and they’ll feel more willing to share their own internal struggles with you as well.
Remove major life stressors from your routine
Think about your life for a moment. What parts of it are no longer serving you? If your career is the number one contributing factor to your ongoing anxiety, it may be time to start looking at alternative job options. Conversely, if your relationship with your family is fraught, you might want to consider ways to see them less often.
While these sorts of life changes can feel hard and scary at first, it’s worth it to try and build a daily routine that allows you to flourish. The truth is that we can thrive under almost any conditions, provided we’re thinking productive thoughts — and it’s a lot easier to have those productive thoughts when you’re in a routine that’s authentic, spiritually nurturing and enjoyable.
Mental health help is possible
It’s not always easy to get support when you’re struggling with a mental health condition. But, if you’re like the millions of other young professionals who’re currently experiencing a mental health illness of some kind, then you know that addressing the root causes of your concerns will help improve your quality of life immensely.
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Below are links to national and international hotlines you can call to get help: