Giving reassurance is both a valuable and important response to cries for help. However, it may not always be sufficient to address the emotional distress of the person fully. In many cases, deeper emotional support, understanding as well as other targeted interventions may be needed to help the person better cope with the nature of distress or circumstances.
As an untrained individual, we lack specialised knowledge, education and professional training to deliver effective and safe support to the person. Attempting to act as a therapist without training can lead to potential harm for you and the person. For example, in cases where the emotional or mental health issues are complex, it will be extremely stressful and emotionally draining for us simply because we do not know what to do.
There may also be fears that we might make things worse for the person or that the person may become dependent on us. Delays in seeking proper treatment often lead to worsening of the person’s condition and making the condition harder to treat. Consequently, the recovery might take longer. Therefore, it is crucial for the distressed person to seek professional help early.
Benefits of seeking professional help
There are numerous benefits in seeking help from trained mental health professionals – psychiatrists, psychologists and counsellors. For example, these professionals can offer proper assessment, diagnosis and expert guidance in treating various mental health issues based on individuals’ unique needs and circumstances. The distressed person can also have a safe space to talk about their issues, process difficult emotions and learn strategies to better regulate their emotions or to cope with stress.
How to encourage someone to seek professional help
Encouraging someone to seek professional help may be challenging due to issues such as concerns over stigma, perceived self-sufficiency, denial, fear of hospitalization or medication. Here are some steps to approach the situation with care:
Reinforce your care and concern and state your limitations:
Express your genuine concern for the distressed person’s well-being and your desire for him/her to get better. Be forthcoming in stating that you may not be the best person to support him/her and hence, the need to seek appropriate, professional help.
Provide information about benefits of seeking professional help:
Provide relevant and accurate information about the benefits of seeking professional help, especially with regard to how therapy can be beneficial in managing emotions, overcoming challenges in life, developing sense of self and improving well-being.
This will help in situations where the person has a lot of concerns linked to poor knowledge/awareness of mental health issues. Some of these concerns may include breach of confidentiality and impact on their careers, having to share private information to a stranger etc.
Normalise help seeking:
For those who may feel reluctant about help-seeking as they perceive help-seeking to be a sign of weakness, emphasize that help-seeking is a sign of strength, not weakness. Also, highlight that it is actually very common nowadays to seek professional support in learning how to cope with challenges in life.
Offer to source for help-seeking resources:
Take the initiative to do research and look out for appropriate, easily accessible mental health professionals or resources. Assist with scheduling appointments and even accompany them for their appointments, especially for the first session. These will help those who are poorly motivated for change (partly due to their condition like depression) or have a lot of fears towards seeing a mental health professional.
Address their concerns:
Listen out for any concerns that they have regarding help-seeking. Validate and empathize with their feelings. Address their concerns accordingly and provide reassurance.
Share positive experiences with help-seeking:
You may also share personal positive experiences with help-seeking, or that of others whom you know, to reduce any stigma, especially with regard to fears that they will be labelled as “crazy”.
Be respectful and non-judgmental:
Despite doing your best to encourage help-seeking, the distressed person may remain resistant. Assure them that you are respectful of their decision to time to consider and you will support their decision.
Follow-up and Check-in:
Do follow-up and check-in with the distressed person regularly to monitor he/her condition, express your care and concern as well as your availability to offer support.
Be their companion:
Time is needed for someone to recover from emotional distress. Be a companion to the distressed person as he/she goes through the recovery journey.
While we are eager to help the distressed person overcome his/her mental health issues, we need to be mindful about respecting his/her boundaries and sense of autonomy in making the decision to seek help. If there are concerns about his/her immediate safety and well-being, do seek help from a mental health professional or call up a crisis hotline promptly.
