Can you make someone get help with their mental health? | Episode 4 #AskMind

Can you make someone get help with their mental health? | Episode 4 #AskMind

Lucy from Mind’s information team answers one of the hardest questions we get on our helpline, ‘Can you make someone get help?’

For more information go to http://www.mind.org.uk/askmind

Hello and welcome to Episode 4 of Ask Mind. I’m Lucy from Mind’s information team.

It’s mine and my team’s job to write all of the information on Mind’s website – we answer the calls, emails and texts which come through on our helpline and generally do all we can to make sure people are know how to navigate the mental health system and to cope with their mental health problems.

Today we’re going to answer another common question that we get: Can you make someone get help with their mental health?

And it’s a really tough one, because unfortunately, the answer isn’t always what people want to hear.
Because the truth is, that no, in most cases you can’t make someone get help if they don’t want it.

If you feel that someone you love is clearly struggling but can’t or won’t reach out for help, and won’t accept any help you offer, it’s understandable to feel frustrated, worried, powerless…
Especially if you think they are at risk, sitting by and doing nothing just does not feel like an option.
But although it’s really difficult, they are an individual, and even if you don’t agree with their choices, they do have a right to decide how they deal with things.
You can’t:
• Force someone to talk to you. It’s not easy talking about mental health problems. And putting pressure on someone or making them feel they are not in control of their own situation is only going to make them feel more uncomfortable and alone.

• You can’t normally force someone to get help. As adults, we are all ultimately responsible for making our own decisions. This includes when – or if – we choose to seek help when we feel unwell.

• You can’t see a health care professional for someone else. A doctor might give you general information about symptoms or diagnoses, but they won’t be able to share any specific advice or details about someone else without their knowledge and agreement.
But there are some things you can do, and while they might feel like not enough, they can really make a huge difference to how someone is feeling and may even help them begin to take steps to getting help:
You can:
1. Be patient. You won’t always know the full story. There may be reasons why they are finding it difficult to ask for help.

2. Let them know how they are feeling is valid and that you are there to talk to without judgement. Let them know you care about them and you’ll be there if they change their mind about asking for help.

3. Show them the ways that they can seek help if and when they’re ready.

4. Look after yourself. Worry and stress can make you unwell too. If you can pay attention to how you’re eating, sleeping and moving about. These are all things that can help us stay well.

There are some exceptions to this. There may be times when you are worried someone is unsafe, either to themselves or to someone else.
They might be feeling they want to seriously hurt or kill themselves.
Or they might be behaving in a way that’s putting themselves or someone else at immediate, serious risk of harm.

In this situation, the quickest way to get help is by calling 999, or going to A&E. We have further info on that on our website, which you can get to by clicking on this pop up I here.
In really exceptional circumstances, it’s possible to keep a person in hospital, or ‘section’ them under a law called the Mental Health Act. This is done without their consent, and often against their will so is very serious, and can only be taken by a team of approved mental health professionals (AMHPs).

If you feel someone is at serious risk and will not approach anyone for help, you can contact their local social services, who can decide to arrange an assessment.
This is a heavy responsibility, so before taking action it’s important that you understand what might happen, and what your loved one’s rights are. We have all you need to know about this process on our website if you think you might need to consider it
So that’s all for now, I hope that’s helped. If it has click ‘like’ and subscribe so you can can keep up to date with the next episode.
If not, why not ask a question for next time? Pop it in the comments below or email us at ask@mind.org.uk
Remember, if you could really do with the information right now, call our Infoline on 0300 123 3393, text them on 86463 or email info@mind.org.uk
Thanks for watching, bye!