Read on Twitter
Thread on how to support your friend with a mental illness (depression, anxiety, ptsd, eating disorder edition bc these are the only ones I can speak from experience on)
Just a reminder that you are not anyone’s therapist and you can’t cure or heal anyone. But you can support a friend whilst encouraging them to get help in a healthy manner. This thread is just things that I’ve found helpful from my loved ones who have supported me through it!
1. Educate yourself. Learn about the illnesses, research, bc knowledge is key! It will give you an insight into how to spot when your friend is bad or why they act a certain way. There are so many symptoms that you may not have even realised may affect them
2. empathy and understanding is key. You may not be able to understand why they feel a certain way but try and be kind, considerate and attempt to understand what they’re going through. They would rather you try and understand instead of pretend you know what they’re going thru
3. Encourage them to get professional help. Whether that be therapy, or go to their gp, etc. They need professional help which u can’t give them. It is quite daunting, especially if it’s their first time so just reassure them, or support them alongside the process.
4. Don’t shame them for things you can’t understand. Some days they won’t be able to leave the bed, eat, their rooms will be messy, they can’t take care of their hygiene. Don’t make them feel worse about it. They may have certain triggers that don’t seem deep to you. Be kind.
5. a little kindness goes a long way. Maybe surprise them with a small gesture, or even words of encouragement when they need it, I promise they will appreciate this so much! & don’t be offended if they don’t reply or give short replies. It can be daunting to talk at these times
6. Listen to them. Let them vent to you if they need it. If they say they don’t wanna talk about certain stuff, respect that. Create a relationship where they feel comfortable telling you anything without judgement. You can do this by not shaming them for their life choices etc
7. Take care of yourself. It can be stressful to see a friend struggling, so don’t neglect your own wellbeing. Be open with so they understand when you need to put your own needs first. Remember you can support a loved one but you can’t fully look after them, it’s not fair on you
8. Let them share as much or as little as they want. Don’t put pressure on them to talk about things they’re not ready about. It can be more damaging and they may pull away and not want to talk to you in the future. Let them lead the discussion at their own pace.
9. Be supportive of the little things. If they’ve gotten out of bed or showered, remind them that you’re proud! These things may seem so small to you but can be so daunting to someone with a mental illness. Make them feel that their small achievements are noticed and valued:)
10. If they relapse, please don’t get angry. It may be upsetting to see a friend harm themselves after doing so well but don’t shout or get angry bc they won’t want to open up again. It’s ok to relapse or to have bad days, listen and try to be understanding and empathetic
11. Don’t put yourself in danger, feel guilty if things are going well for you or stay in a friendship/relationship that is detrimental to your own wellbeing. At the end of the day you can support another person, but your wellbeing is the most important in your life
There’s so much more I could add but I don’t want to make this thread too long, so pls just remember, be kind, there’s only so much you can do, don’t expect to fix anyone, just support them in getting better 
