It is not uncommon for mentally ill persons to deny theyneed help or are ill; particularly for people with Bipolar Disorder or psychotic illness. This could be due to their lack of awareness or insight due to the illness. They believe that the illness doesn't exist, or will fix itself and they may refuse to seek help.
Approaching such a person and convincing them to seek helpmay be a critical factor. You need to watch out for any changes that may be of concern as you check how the person is behaving.
How to encourage people with mental health illness to seek help
Mentally ill patients may upsetor frustrate you when they refuse treatment; you just need to recognize that they have an illness and be patient withthem.
People are fond of saying things like "I wouldn't stand for that"; but they cannot understand what it's like until they have lived in that situation. Shouting and screaming at a mentally ill person will only worsen their behaviors or thoughts and make them more stressed.Understanding and patience are key.
Talking about the problem
The best way forward is to sitdown and have a direct conversation. However, this will depend on the individual, as they are likely to feel embarrassed or attacked. This approach could do more harm than good if they are denying their problem.
For a more subtle approach, kindness and time are essential. An approach that is steady and slow with short chats can help them reflect on what you've said. Children with autism should be embraced and helped to make them feel accepted and loved so that they can freely manage to cope with the world around them. Also, ensure you don't judge or blame them for their condition, as it's something that happened to them like any other illness.
How to manage if they still refuse to seek help
For individual reasons, some people will never seek help for their mental health issues. In such a case, you need to seek help from a professional that has undertaken psychiatric nurse practitioner programs, which are advanced nursing roles that require a Masters or Doctorate degree. They are mental health specialist courses that depend on a hybrid background of psychiatry and nursing.
How does it affect you?
While a loved one's quality of life and health should be paramount in your quest to get them help, they may fail to realize how their mental health issues may affect those around them. People with mental health issues tend to thinkand believe it's their problem. More than their compulsions or fears, this attitude could make you feel like you're not important to them - be very honest with them about how their mental health illness affects you.Try to be fair while expressing your concerns to them. For instance, if you say they embarrass you, that would be awful.You need totell them something justifiable like"you miss doing the things you used to do together." Don't engage in a sort of a blame game, but an open conversation as you table the perspective of the magnitude of their situation.
