In the United States, May is mental health awareness month and, in my opinion, one of the best times to open up and be candid about mental health. This national awareness month serves as a perfect platform to begin a conversation about how these illnesses affect your friends and family, your community or yourself. Talking about mental health can be extremely challenging, whether you are approaching a friend that you think is struggling, or if it is something you yourself are dealing with and know you need help tackling. Because mental health is such a sensitive topic for people, being understanding and a listening ear is very important; if you are on the other end and are reaching out for help, choosing who you reach out to is uber important—make sure you can trust them and that they will be open to helping you if they can!

Here are some things to keep in mind if someone approaches you asking for help with their mental health journey.

1. Just listen.

Coming to someone about struggling with mental health issues and instability is incredibly hard—trust me. Being open to your friend about deep internal struggles and something so personal can be challenging for someone. So making time for your friend or family member and actively listening to them is so important. By paying attention to what they are saying, taking them seriously, and walking with them on this road to recovery, you may help them find ways to get through this time in their life or help them in understanding their illness. When someone is feeling so alone and in the dark while struggling with mental illness, finding someone who will listen to them can help them see that life can be good again and could save their life.

2. Don't tell them "it could be worse."

Yes, it indeed could be worse, but that doesn't make this struggle in their life any less painful. If your friend or family member came to you with a more visible illness or ailment, you would do whatever was in your power to help them recover—you wouldn't point out how things "could be worse" or compare their struggles to someone else. Because of the huge stigma attached to mental illness, it is easy to brush off these feelings as passing, fleeting or not serious. But mental health is something we need to take seriously—always.

3. If you don't know how to help, find someone who can.

Once again, struggling with mental health is a very serious issue. I totally understand that helping someone through this dark time in their life can be very difficult for you and your own mental health, or that taking on the responsibility of another human being can be incredibly difficult. But your friend or family member came to you because they trust you and feel that you can be a pillar of support for them. You don't have to take this on all alone—you are not a therapist or psychiatrist and you are not qualified to take on this fight by yourself. If you don't know what to do, reach out to someone you trust and feel can help you. Professors, school counselors, members of your faith community—these are all great people to turn to for help. Yes, you may be at an age where you feel you are a true "adult," but that doesn't mean you know everything!

4. Don't let them isolate themselves.

Once your friend/family member has come to you about their mental health, it is imperative to not allow them to create a crazy amount of distance from you. As someone who struggles with their own mental health, feeling like a burden is a common thought that circulates, and not wanting to reach out to your friends seems like the easiest answer. It also becomes difficult to muster up the energy to plan things or even want to leave home-- that is where you come in! Make sure that your friend/family member gets out of the house every once in a while. Make a very easy-going plan for a day out on the town, with no pressure to complete tasks, but with the intention to do so. This can be a great change of scenery for your friend and also help them see that people care about them and their well-being.

5. Remind them that you're there for them.

Related to the previous tip, making sure your friend/family member knows that you're by their side through thick and thin and that you will be there for them when they need you (even if they don't know it themselves) can make or break someone who is struggling with their mental health. Feeling needed and wanted can help someone pull through their depressive episode-- it most definitely helped me. Having a purpose and a loving support team is sometimes the most crucial part of recovery for mental health issues, and you can be where this process begins by simply reminding your friend that you love them. A hug and a kind word go a long way.

Talking about mental health is hard and scary, but if someone comes to you with their struggles, do not push them away. Any time someone talks about their mental health struggles, it is serious and important. This May, be more open to talking and learning about mental illness and overall health and please take these three tips into consideration!

Until next week friends!

Here are some resources if you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or related crises:

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention -- 1-888-333-2377

The Suicide Prevention Lifeline -- 1-800-273-8255

The National Domestic Violence Hotline -- 1-800-799-7233

SAMHSA Treatment Locator -- 800-662-4357