Mental Health First Aid

This week I took a 2 day Mental Health First Aid course. I got a lot out of it and do recommend it. I realized just how huge the stigma is towards mental illness, and just how much work we have ahead of us to change that.

There is an acronym that for our actions which are interchangeable but I am going to just start with the second one today. Listen Non-Judgementally. Here is a poem that we were given that hits home for me and we can use in our every day dealings.

 

You Are Listening To Me When

You are not listening to me when...

You do not care about me, and you cannot care about me until you know something about me to care about

You say you understand before you know me well enough

You have an answer for my problem before I have finished telling you what my problem is

You cut me off before I have finished speaking

You feel critical of my grammar, accent, culture, or way of doing and saying things

You are communicating to someone else in the room

You are dying to tell me something or want to correct me

You are trying to sort out the details and are not aware of the feelings behind the words

You sense my problem is embarrassing and you are avoiding it

You get excited and stimulated by what I am saying and want to jump right in before I invite your response

You need to feel successful

You tell me about your experience which makes mine seem unimportant

You refuse my thanks by saying you haven't done anything

 

You are listening to me when...

When you come quietly into my private world and let me be

You really try to understand me when I do not make sense

You grasp my point of view when it goes against your sincere conviction

You realize the hour I took from you has left you feeling a bit tired and drained

You didn't tell me the funny story you were just bursting to tell me

You allowed me the dignity of making my own decisions even though you felt I was wrong

You didn't take my problem from me but trusted me to deal with it in my own way

You gave me enough room to discover for myself why I felt upset and enough time to think for myself what was best

You held back the desire to give me good advice

You accepted my gift of gratitude by telling me it was good to know I had been helped

 

Anonymous

Posted with Blogsy