It is true that we, humans are the most exceptional creations made by God. But there are certain downfalls that we face as humans. The most common problem that we humans face is that we just aren’t capable of controlling the thoughts of our minds. There are a lot of ups and downs that we face in our life; the experiences of these imprint memories on our minds. And most of these memories might lay us in the lap of depression. Yes, depression is a very serious problem and yes, it falls under the category of mental illness. At least in the present times, there has been much awareness that is developing regarding mental illness and mental health. Yet, people still tend to have a very cloudy idea when it comes to mental illness.
Most of us know that the person we are sitting opposite is suffering from depression but we do not exactly know how to handle them in such situations. We don’t know what exactly do we tell them to make them feel better. More often than not we end up saying the wrong things to people facing depression which might hurt them and only we know that it was unintentional. People suffering from depression have a very tender emotional line and we need to ensure that we enter that emotional line without breaking it to make them feel better. Even the slightest wrong sentence or wrong word that we utter can bring them to their breaking point in a jiffy. So, what exactly do we do? What can we say to a person suffering from depression? Read on to know more.
- You Need To Let Them Know That You Care For Them
“I care”— these two simple words could literally translate into an entire world of compassion when told to a depressed person. And if you think you cannot tell these words the right way you can also just give them a gentle touch of the hand or a small tight hug and we are sure that your message is conveyed in the right way to them. The main point here is to just reach out and let the other person know that you are there and standing with them no matter what may come. Letting them know that they are not alone in this back to you as one of the best things you could tell them.
- You Need To Ask Them How You Could Help Them
Depression is known to place great weeds on the person who is going through it both mentally and physically. So, they could be dozens of things that you could do to ease this burden of the person facing depression. There could be many instances in life when you don’t know how to help yourself so how would you be able to help a person going through depression? The best way to do it is to ask them directly. Yes, in the beginning, your friend may decline your offer to help to fear that you may not have a clear picture of what they’re going through. It’s better to keep a few suggestions handy when you’re asking them if they need help:
- Do you want me to drive you to your doctor’s appointment?
- Do you want me to give you the company for some time?
- Do you need any help with your daily chores?
- Is there anything at all that I could do for you?
- Let’s just hang out this weekend together?
The best way to trick them into asking your help for their betterment is to be specific concerning activity or a time. For example, “let’s just go for a long drive this evening. ”
- You Need To Let Them Know That You’re Ready To Listen Whenever They Want To Talk About Their Problem
You can never force a person to talk about their problems especially when they are in depression. But you need to convey to them that you are available at any given point of time to listen whenever they are ready to share their thoughts and problems with you. If they haven’t spoken about their struggle then you need to let them know that you have noticed certain changes in their behavior and that you have an idea that there is something wrong and you could sense it.
When you say such things they will make a note of it and when they are ready to share all just need somebody to talk to when they are completely let down they will remember your offer and talk to you.
- You Need To Ask Them How They Are Managing Their Depression
We all know that depression is a medical condition and it is not some kind of weakness or flaw of a person. If someone you know or not is going to depression it is very important to encourage them to go out and seek some professional help if they haven’t already done that. Remind them that seeking some assistance is a sign of strength and not weakness. Asked them how they are coping with depression or managing it. This will give you an idea about whether or not they are taking any treatment.
- You Need To Let Them Know They Aren’t Alone
Each one of us might have gone through the face of depression and life at one point in time or another. So when you come across a person who is dealing with it for the first time it is very important to let them know that they are not alone in the struggle. You need to let them know that they are not the only people who are facing it. You could probably share your experience or another’s experiences and how they overcome depression. Tell them not to isolate themselves or feel alone as being alone could only intensify the feeling of being depressed.
- You Need To Let Them Know There’s Always Hope
Empathizing is very important when a person is going through a rough time in life. This applies even in the case of treatments. While you might be trying to reassure your friend that they are going through depression, it is also very important for you to reassure them that there is hope, and that there are medical treatments, and that there are plenty of chances for your friend to feel happy and cheerful again in life. Most of the time people treat depression as an and treatable condition. And as a friend and well-wisher, it is upon you to break this thinking.
- You Need To Assure Them That They Are Not Defective
You will always listen to these lines, “Something is wrong with me” when a person is not feeling okay. The literal meaning of this line is that the person is feeling that they are defective or that there is some lack of goodness in them. It is very natural for a person to feel very weak and vulnerable when they’re going through depression. People tend to look at depression as a character flaw and not as an illness and this is something that you need to change in your friend. You need to let them know as depression is just a biochemical imbalance that occurs in the brain and not any kind of weakness or flaw in your friend’s character or body.
- You Need To Let Them Know That They Can Get Through This And Survive
Most of the time a person who is battling depression will feel that they cannot handle it. They might feel like it is the end of their life and that there can be no happiness or any good opportunity is knocking at the doors. You, being a good friend should help them understand that it is just a phase of life and that they can survive it and be happy again.
Now you know what you should be telling your friends when he or she is facing the storm in their head. Kindness is the best virtue that you can develop and spread in this world.