From organisations like Lifeline and SANE to the many online communities and forums, there’s plenty of resources out there detailing how to support someone in need. But as far as we’re concerned, none sum it up as expertly as this post.
In an effort to get her boyfriend to better understand her mental health struggles, US woman Kelsey Darragh penned a list of 15 “realistic” ways he could help.
“I have panic & anxiety disorder. My boyfriend does not…” she tweeted. “So I made him this list! Feel free to share with your loved ones that need guidance!”
Tip one reads: “Know that I am scared and won’t be able to explain why, so please don’t freak out or be annoyed w/me.”
Next up, she advises him to find her medication and insist she takes it.
“Breathing exercises are going to frustrate me but they are vital,” she says in tip 3. “Try and get me to sync my breathing with yours.”
She continues with points like “make gentle of things we could do together to distract my panic” and “remind me that this has happened before and this too shall pass!”
“Empathise w/me!” she adds. “You may not get it, but you get me!”
It didn’t take long for her post to go viral, racking over 21,000 likes and amassing nearly 200 comments. Many could relate to her experience and thanked her for sharing:
While others simply weighed in with tips of their own:
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