Supporting someone with a mental illness is definitely challenging. Your family and closest friends feel they should be able to support and love you no matter what, but you really test that. My loved ones have been amazing and I am so grateful. My partner has been incredibly patient with me and he’s taken the time to learn my triggers. He’ll hide under the blankets with me until I’ve calmed down. He knows not to say anything. He knows just to be there.
People might say they support mental illness, but most don’t want to talk about it. Being part of a community who have had similar struggles can be a big help. Mental illness is not a convenient thing – it’s not 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. So it’s really important to have somewhere to go any time of day, such as the online SANE forums. Reading about others’ experiences or having someone empathise with your own can give a lot of hope during your darkest moments.
Sane.org, saneforums.org, SANE Helpline 1800 18 7263