When I began my struggle with fear and anxiety, the first thing I did was to seek help from a mental health professional. I realized that in order to deal with my fears effectively, I had to educate myself on the techniques that were available in dealing with my fears. Many people who struggle with addiction, depression, anxiety and other mental health issues refuse to seek help. There are many reasons why these people do not get the help they need to get better. Many family members who see their loved ones struggle have a very difficult time in getting their loved ones assistance. From my personal experiences, this is what I would to do to help convince someone who is struggling with their mental health to seek help. The first thing I learned is you need to talk to the person, not talk at them. Nobody likes to be lectured and no one wants to be talked to as if they are a little kid. Talking to the person is very important. The next step I think is very helpful is to determine why the person who is struggling refuses to get help. A few main reasons why someone won’t get help in my opinion is because they are scared, they are frustrated, or they feel they don’t need help. I found that having the person list the 3 main reasons why they refuse to get help. I would then write down those three reasons on a piece of paper. I would go see a professional and ask them to help address those issues which would overcome those barriers. I would then present what I came up with to the person who is struggling. For example, if I had specific fears that was preventing me from getting help, I would be more willing to get the help I needed if somebody was able to help calm or get rid of those fears. I found that developing a plan to address their reasons of not getting help will go a long way in convincing the person to get help. I would also do a family intervention. This is when family members get together with the person who is struggling and try to convince them to get help. Another technique I found helpful was to use the services of a former addict who has “Been There” to talk to the person. The idea is that this person can better relate to the person who is struggling because he or she knows exactly how they feel. I found this very helpful when I was struggling with my fears. Most importantly, these experts can be honest with the person and tell them what will happen if they don’t get help. These experts can talk from personal experience because they were once in that person’s shoes and they will be more credible to the person who is struggling. I realized from my experiences and research in dealing with my fears and anxieties that you have to be persistent in getting the person the help they need. The techniques I mentioned can go a long way. I also recommend having the person’s family and friends pray for them. Involving God in your current situation can sometimes produce unexpected results. The key is to be persistent and not give up. BIOGRAPHY: Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/
