MENTAL HEALTH
RESOURCEs

Self care does not need to be earned!
Listen to your body and rest when you need to, even before it is a need.

Noreen SIbanda, Psychologist

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Be aggressive with your self care.
Advocate for what feels right for your body, be intentional with your medication and your healthcare routines. Self-care also looks like self-protection and self preservation. Investigate mindfulness practices and grounding techniques.

Zainab Giwa, Psychotherapist

You are not alone.
It is important to recognize that mental health challenges are common and you are not alone. Opening up to someone you trust is crucial as they can advocate for your needs and support you in connecting to valuable resources.

It takes a village.
Eventually begin to support them in expanding their support network. Being the only support person is not sustainable and can lead to burn out or compassion fatigue. Encourage them to open up to other trusted individuals who can also support them. Don't forget to seek help for yourself as mental illness can strain family or close relationships.

Chinonye Ilupeju, Provisional Psychologist

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Facilitate life.
The demands of mental and chronic illness can consume a persons life. As a support system to your loved one encourage them to maintain connections to their life lines; these can be people, places, and personal values or interests that inspire life and refocus their sense of purpose and hope. Life lines are what anchor us in the midst of health challenges.

Aminata Marah, Psychologist

Preserve hope.
Dealing with a chronic illness can be likened to a journey: one of the best ways to preserve hope is to have a destination in mind; a vision of your preferred outcome and some of the landmarks of success along the way.

Externalize the disease.
You and the illness are two separate entities. Be proactive with speaking to the disease with your words.

Zainab Giwa, Psychotherapist

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All emotions are valid!
You are allowed to feel them all in one day as this tells you that you are alive. Being able to manage them is what indicates thriving and this includes taking care of your body's physical needs as well.

Anger is telling you that a need has not been met!
Just remember not all the anger you feel is yours – reflect and seek support to unpack as epigenetics and intergenerational impacts us psychologically as well.

Noreen SIbanda, Psychologist

Be a place of refuge.
Being a place of refuge means that you are capable of providing ongoing emotional support. Also displaying empathy, normalizing their experience and engaging with them in a non judgmental manner is crucial to recovery.

Chinonye Ilupeju, Provisional Psychologist

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Mindful love: Understanding the illness and experience.
It is an act of love to educate yourself on the nature of your loved one’s condition. The comorbid combination of mental and chronic illness can often leave an individual feeling isolated and misunderstood; the more you know about the illness and its unique expression the better equipped you’ll be to provide support and understanding to them.

Model vulnerability, hold space.
Modelling vulnerability can foster a safe and supportive environment for your loved one to share their struggles. By sharing your own experiences in a compassionate and authentic way, you can build trust and strengthen your relationship. Furthermore, normalizing mental and chronic illness through vulnerability can help reduce stigma.

Aminata Marah, Psychologist