Your friend’s father dies suddenly. After a few months, they start to become withdrawn and don’t seem interested in things that they enjoyed before.
•F – Find out what is wrong and if you can help. After encouraging your friend to be open with you, they tell you they are struggling with the loss of their dad and feel like they didn’t have a chance to say goodbye.
•R– Reassure that help is available – reassure your friend that they can get the help and support they need, e.g. grief counselling
•I – Inform and let them know what self-help resources are available – explore options such as visiting the GP, self-referring for counselling, or providing self-help and wellbeing tools.
•E – Encourage them to self-advocate – encourage your friend to work out what approach is going to work best for them. Create a plan of action together, or encourage them to do this in their own time.
•N – Need professional help? – Your friend self-refers for grief counselling and visits their GP. They also download a mindfulness app.
•D – Debrief – Your friend gets the support they need, and you continue to check in with them regularly. Give yourself a pat on the back!