Contact me now at (255) 352-6258 or complete my booking form to secure your appointment today.
I get emails and messages now and then from people asking what to do about their mentally ill loved one. They want to convince their loved one to get help for a mental illness.
These people are in the unenviable position of watching someone they love be sick. And the unfortunate thing about mental illness is that when you confront it, it doesn’t like it very much.
It’s kind of a tall order.
And the thoughts I have on the matter don’t really make the issue sparkle either. Because let’s face it, the person either listens to you or they don’t, and really, they have the right to do either one. Here’s a bit of reality on convincing a loved one to get help for a mental illness.
And for the record, even if you don’t immediately succeed, many of us first hear about our mental illness from a friend, but sometimes that takes a while to sink in.
Once you’ve read this article, you might also want to check out this book for many more ideas about convincing someone to get help for a mental illness.
Natasha Tracy is an award-winning writer, speaker, advocate, and consultant from the Pacific Northwest. She has been living with bipolar disorder for 26 years and has written more than 2000 articles on the subject.
Find more of Natasha’s work in her acclaimed book: "Lost Marbles: Insights into My Life with Depression & Bipolar" on Amazon.
Connect with Natasha at the social media links below.
Shopping for someone with a mental illness can feel tricky—you want a gift that actually helps, not just more clutter. This guide walks you through 15 thoughtful, low-pressure mental health gifts that offer real comfort, reduce stress, and say, “I see you and I’m here,” during the holidays and all year.
I’m never going to call bipolar pain a “gift.” Most days, I just want it to stop. But emotional and even physical pain aren’t always random torture—they’re often trying to tell us something. This piece digs into what your pain might be saying, how to listen, and how that can make living with it just a little easier.
World Mental Health Day, 2025: The U.S. is rolling back mental-health care. Parity is paused, 988 LGBTQ+ services were cut, and clinics face funding hits. Here’s exactly what changed and how it harms people with mental illness.
Subscribe to my monthly newsletter to get the latest from Bipolar Burble, Breaking Bipolar, my vlogs at bpHope, my masterclasses, and other useful tidbits -- plus get a FREE eBook on coping skills.
I have just discovered this wonderful forum and have read until my eyes burn! Is there any advice for how a mom deals with an of age (20) child who almost succeeded in killing herself? She lives an hour and a half away and has been doing very well these past 4 months since her attempt – almost too well. I live in almost constant fear – not being able to reach her on the phone…flashbacks to cleaning her apartment (looked liked the Mansons had a party)….what I should be doing differently…..we are both bi-polar and have no other support but each other….
Hi Natasha, just thought you’d want to know that the link doesn’t work any more.
Thanks Eurika – I fixed it :)
– Natasha Tracy