What to say to a depressed friend

Online Therapy with a Licensed Counselor. The Time is Now to Put Yourself First. How do you help a friend that has depression? How to comfort a depressed friend? Tap to play or pause GIF.

If you can sincerely tell your friend about all the ways that they matter to you and others, this can help them realize that they have value and worth. Be clear that you are happy to help whenever you can (being sure not to put your own health at risk). I’d like to go with you.

It requires a little reflection and thought to be supportive, Dalack says. Pointing out specific improvements you notice — like a boost in energy or renewed interest in activities — can encourage someone with depression along the road to recovery. To summarize, one of her best friends , a very successful professional woman, ha like millions of others, fallen victim to clinical depression.

Over the course of a year, her life had fallen. Appointment, Start Therapy Today!

You’re a good person” Guilt is a common feeling with depression and can be a trigger, as well as a symptom. Recent studies have uncovered a correlation between excessive time online and depression. If you notice a significant change in someone’s behavior (if they seem habitually withdrawn, down, disengage or angry) you might want to initiate a conversation with one of these leading questions. Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.

If one of your friends is depressed or have a hard time, you really should say some words of encouragement for her or him. You are not an exception. It’s kind of a minefield if you have never experienced depression yourself. The situation’s complicated by an issue on the depressed person’s side.

It’s very hard for someone with depression to think clearly,. To a person struggling with depression , the problem has a way of feeling all-consuming. It permeates the day in a negative way and may include symptoms that are both emotional and physical. The stigma of depression often leads to social isolation because the depressed person believes no one understands what it’s like to be depressed.

What to Say to Someone Who is Depressed. We humans are a complex bunch, and even with all the loving intent in the world it can be difficult to know what to say. Here are some places to start.

The hopelessness of depression stands with its arms crosse blocking the door to anything better.

Likewise, I have had friends who have struggled as acutely as I have, and throughout it all I have learned so much about what it means to be (and how to be) a friend to someone who is depressed. Chances are, you have come into contact with depression on at least one occasion in life, whether you realize it or not. While you can’t control someone else’s recovery from depression, you can start by encouraging the depressed person to seek help. Getting a depressed person into treatment can be difficult.

The depressed person may believe that the situation is hopeless and treatment pointless. Say something encouraging to your friend every day to show that you care and that your friend is valuable to you and to others. Depression also involves negative ways of thinking.