- Create a safe and supportive environment, trying to understand that the sufferer does not want to have the mental illness just as much as you do not want them to have it.
- Be non-judgemental and listen without prejudice, no matter how difficult the situation.
- Find someone you trust who you can talk to and open up with so all the negative feelings do not build up inside.
- Don’t be afraid to talk about the condition, neither of you can move forward in the relationship if it is being swept under the rug.
- Don’t be afraid to seek advice. You’re not going to have all the answers or “know how” to handle some situations so seeking some outside information or advice is important.
- Acceptance, accept that your loved one is suffering from a mental illness, but that they are still inside and still the person you know.
- Be patient with the sufferer and make sure both parties are not afraid to try and laugh and make happiness instead of stress in situations. Positivity goes a long way.
- Accept what the sufferer is saying is very real to them however irrational it sounds to you.
- Know that even if someone doesn’t look poorly on the outside they may well still be really suffering on the inside. Remember anorexia nervosa is a mental illness, even thought it has physical symptoms.
- Do not lose hope. Never accepting that this is as good as it gets, because it can always get better.
