There’s nothing worse than seeing a friend in need and not knowing what to do. You might be desperate to reach out, but you might be fearful of saying the wrong thing and making a situation worse. However, sometimes the best thing that you can do for a friend is to let them know that you are there no matter what. Being a friend can be tough sometimes; you need to be there during the difficult times as well as the happy times. It is these more difficult times that can make or break a friendship and show how strong a relationship really is.

Mental health and well being is viewed as just as important as physical well being nowadays. Forget the stigma that was once attached to depression, anxiety and stress, and reach out to your pal who is suffering. It’s not right that they suffer alone. Take a look at these three sure fire ways to help a friend in need.

Pop Over

It’s all too easy to isolate yourself when you are suffering. Your friend might feel like they are a burden or not worth worrying about. You need to make it obvious to them that their well being is more important to you than any social gathering, party or night out at the moment. Instead of heading out to the movies, go to your friend’s house and take along some of their favorite food and a DVD.

Turning up at their door will be a pleasant surprise and will show them just how much you care. You aren’t going there to stage an intervention, whisk them off to rehab or to even talk about their problems. This is simply one friend going around to another’s to have an awesome night in. By showing your pal that their life doesn’t have to revolve around their worries, you can be the catalyst to help them change.

Be At The End Of The Phone

Sometimes you just need to be present. Your pal may be refusing every invitation to head out for a good night out. That doesn’t mean that you should ever stop inviting them. One day, they will feel brighter and better and they will take you up on your offer. In the meantime, just be there, at the end of the phone if and when they need you.

Keep your phone on through the night. Those people suffering with mental health problems will feel at their most vulnerable when they can’t sleep at night. Pick up the phone and chat, let them know that they aren’t alone and that you are there for them.

Support Them

If your pal has been prescribed a mindfulness course to help them revolutionize their thought processes, consider offering to go along with them. Mindfulness is often the first course of treatment when it comes to mental well being rather than the traditional antidepressant tablets. Mindfulness is ideal to help those suffering with stress and depression and anxiety to remain in the present, and not to worry about things that may not even happen in the future. By staying more focused on the here and now, a dark cloud can be lifted. Be with them and join in the process.

Being a good friend is about more than having a laugh and a giggle. You need to be a support, a shoulder to cry on and a mood lifter when your friend is in need.