Becoming A Mental Health Advocate

During Mental Health Awareness Month, we often focus on improving our well-being, but what happens when we want to learn how to support our loved ones on their mental health journeys?  

In this blog, I will be sharing tools and insights to help you better understand how to support someone who may be facing mental health challenges. Being a mental health advocate is about showing up with understanding and compassion while creating spaces where others feel safe to share, heal, and thrive. 

Signs That Someone May Need Support

Here are a few indications that a loved one might need support:

• Physical Indicators: Unexplained cuts, bruises, or changes in appearance might reflect underlying struggles.

• Behavioral Changes: Withdrawal from friends or activities, secretive behavior, or avoiding conversations are signs to look for.

• Verbal Expressions: Statements like “I don’t matter” or “I want to give up” signal deep pain and should always be taken seriously.

• Emotional Patterns: Guilt, shame, numbness, or difficulty handling stress may reflect internal battles.

• Lifestyle Shifts: Dramatic changes in sleep, eating patterns, or a loss of interest in things they once enjoyed are important cues.

  
  

How You Can Be a Mental Health Advocate

1. Be Aware: Regularly check in with friends and loved ones. Awareness starts with noticing the small changes and being attentive to others’ needs.

2. Be Curious: Instead of assuming, ask how you can support. Taking an investigative approach helps create a safe, non-judgmental environment.

3. Be Teachable: Listen without judgment and let others share their experiences. Even if you don’t fully understand, validate their feelings.

4. Be Inclusive: Mental health journeys look different for everyone. Respect their pace, feelings, and choices.

5. Encourage Professional Help: Gently suggest therapy or counseling. You could even offer assistance in finding the right support. If comfortable, you can even offer to accompany them.

6. Be an Educator: Share your knowledge and encourage open dialogue about mental health with others in your community. The more we normalize these conversations, the more accessible help becomes.

   
   

Advocacy Starts with You

Advocacy doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers. You just need to be willing to hold space for others while encouraging them to seek help and healing when necessary. 

If you are committed to breaking stigma and making mental health support more accessible, you’re already a mental health advocate. 

Other Resources:

Five Mental Health Professionals Accepting Clients in Alabama:

1. Kahla Hill:

   https://www.thehealcentercounseling.com/

2. Zariah Richard:

   https://www.dragonflycounselingllc.org/

3. Jennifer Nelson:

   https://www.kintsugicc.com/

4. Tiffany Storey:

   https://www.shccal.com/

5. Inspire Counseling

   https://inspiredbyinspire.com/meet-the-team

Five Mental Health Resources You Can Use Now:

1. Purposed Joy's Youtube: Videos on mental health, wellness, and self-care.

2. Purposed Joy's Blog: Articles for emotional healing, mental health, and personal growth.

3. Free Purposed Joy Resources – Download FREE resources on our website.

4. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: Call 988 for immediate, confidential support.

5. Crisis Text-line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, 24/7 support in times of crisis.

Before I go, I want to commend you for being open to being a mental health advocate for your loved ones. It would be irresponsible if I didn’t remind you of one very important thing…even when you are helping others through their mental health journeys, REMEMBER to always set healthy boundaries for your own emotional well-being, too. 

Advocacy is most effective when you take care of yourself while supporting others. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn how to advocate for others. We all need someone to lean on. 

With all the love,

Shekinah 

The Purposed Therapist