Support, as defined by Merriam-Webster, means to uphold or defend something as right or valid. For those afflicted with mental illness, one of the biggest pillars of living life to its fullest is having support from friends, family, coworkers, and anyone else that you deal with on a regular basis.
Step One: Understand that she is not this way on purpose
She doesn’t ask to be overwhelmed by sounds and lights
She doesn’t ask to feel off balance when little things don’t go right
She doesn’t ask to drown in her own breath at a moments notice without reason.
Step Two: Listen to everything she says without question
Because it matters what she says even if it doesn’t make sense
Because it makes a difference for her to feel heard
Because it will be the thing she remembers most about when this happens again.
Step Three: Know what comforts her and help her find those things
She will need you to remind her what makes her happy
She will need you to bring those things to her because her body is weak
She will need to know that you will always be here to save her.
Step Four: Breathe with her and wait
It will take longer than you think to bring her back down from her attack
It will require patience as she mulls over and over what just happened in painful detail
It will show you that she knows the damage that she is doing and how badly it hurts her.
Step Five: Rinse and repeat
This illness is a part of her life that will never go away so you will deal with this again
This process will be a part of her life until the day that she dies and it sucks
This assistance from you will help her cope with the illness more than you know.
And, despite how it feels sometimes, it will always be worth it.
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