Author:
Louise Ward
Date Of Creation:
4 February 2021
Update Date:
2 July 2024
Content
Depression is a serious medical condition that afflicts many people. When a friend is struggling with depression, you may not be sure what you should do to help. There are a number of ways you can help a friend with depression, from encouraging treatment to empowering them with kind words. Read on to learn how to help a friend with depression.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Helping Your Friend Treat Depression
Pay attention to the symptoms of depression in your friend. You may suspect that your friend is suffering from depression through his or her behavior. If in doubt, look for common signs of depression to notice something else. Some of the more common symptoms of depression include:
- A prolonged feeling of sadness
- Loss of interest in hobbies, friends and / or sex
- Extreme fatigue or slowdown in thinking, speaking, or moving
- Craving to eat more or less to eat
- Having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Having trouble concentrating and making decisions
- Easy to get irritable
- Feelings of hopelessness and / or pessimism
- Lose weight or gain weight
- Have thoughts of suicide
- Painful or digestive problems
- Guilt, worthlessness, and / or helplessness
Encourage the friend to talk to the doctor. As soon as you suspect that your friend has depression, encourage him or her to see a doctor. The friend may refuse to say that there is no problem, or be ashamed to admit something is wrong. Since some symptoms of depression are atypical, many non-clinical people do not associate them with depression; Lethargy and paralysis are often not considered symptoms of depression. A friend's encouragement will be all that a friend needs to seek help.- Say things like, "I'm worried about you and I think you should talk to the doctor about your recent feelings."
- Encourage the friend to continue talking with the psychologist.
Let your friend know that you are ready to help. Your friend may agree to seek professional help, but she or he will be too quiet to keep up the scheduling process and go to meetings. By helping them continuously, you can be sure that your friend will really get the support he or she needs.- Offer to schedule an appointment for that friend and even go with him or her to see a doctor for support.
- Offer to help the friend make a list of questions for the doctor before the appointment.
Method 2 of 3: Support Your Friend
Encourage that friend every day. Depression can make a person feel useless, but you can use words of encouragement to support your friend until he or she remembers your worth. Encourage your friend every day to show interest in you, and show that your friend is as precious to you as it is to others.- Point out your friend's strengths and accomplishments to make him or her stronger. For example, you could say, “You are such a genius artist. I really admire your talent. ” Or, “I think it's great that you raised these three wonderful children yourself. Not everyone has that kind of power. ”
- Give your friend hope by reminding him or her that their feelings are temporary. People with depression often feel that things will never get better, but you can remind them that the truth is not. Say, "You may not believe me now, but your feelings will change."
- Avoid saying things like, "just your mind comes up," or, "Wake up!" Making judgments will only make your friend feel worse and his depression will only worsen.
Let your friend know that you are always there. Depression makes people feel isolated and feel that no one cares about them. Even if you have shown interest in doing everything to support your friend, he or she needs to hear from you that you are there for them to believe it. Let your friends know that you are ready and that they should contact you immediately when needed.
- You can show your good will by saying, “I know you're going through a tough time, and I just want you to know that I'm always there for you. Call or text me when needed. ”
- Try not to be discouraged when your friend does not respond to your positivity in the way you expected or expected. Indifference is a common response to people suffering from depression, even those who care about them.
- Remember that sometimes the best way to show your help is simply being with the person. You can spend time watching a movie or reading a book with them, without the pressure to talk about your depression or hopefully cheer them up. Accept who they are for the moment.
- Set limits on when you can receive calls or texts from them. No matter how much you want to help your friend, make sure it doesn't take your whole life away. Make sure your friend is aware of your concerns, but if the person has a midnight emergency, he or she should call suicide prevention support numbers, in the United States. is the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or 911.
Listen when your friend wants to talk. Listening to your friend and making an effort to understand what he or she is going through is an important part of supporting your recovery. Allow the friend to talk about his or her feelings when they're ready.
- Don't pressure your friend into sharing. Just let them know that you are willing to listen when they are ready and spend more time with them.
- Listen carefully to your friend. Nod and react appropriately to let them know that you are listening.
- Try repeating what your friend has said from time to time to let them know that you are paying attention.
- Avoid acting defensively, trying to overwhelm a conversation, or ending their words. Be patient even though it is difficult sometimes.
- Continue to make your friend feel heard with words like, "I see," "Go on," and "Yes."
Recognize the signs of suicidal thoughts. There are people with depression who commit suicide when they cannot bear the heavy feelings of despair and helplessness. If your friend talks about suicide, get serious about it. Don't assume they won't follow their thoughts, especially when there is evidence of their suicide plan. Pay attention to the following warning signs:
- Threats of suicide or talking about suicide
- Assertions imply that they don't care about anything or that they won't be here any longer
- Bring their belongings; will write or make funeral arrangements
- Buy a gun or other weapon
- Sudden and inexplicable cheerfulness or calm after a period of depression
- If you observe any of the above, get in touch for immediate assistance! Call a medical professional, mental health clinic or suicide prevention phone numbers, in the United States the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 to get Get advice on the next step.
Method 3 of 3: Overcoming Depression with Your Friends
Plan to have fun together. Once your friend starts to feel better, support him or her in continuing through the depression by making a plan to go out. Selecting activities that you both enjoy and making a plan to do them will leave this friend always with something to look forward to. Plan to go to the cinema, go for a weekend walk, or have coffee together.
- Make sure you don't put pressure on your friend to do things he or she isn't ready to do. Be patient and persistent.
Laugh with that friend. Laughter is considered the best medicine for a reason. Recent studies have shown that laughter eases symptoms of depression and brings people with depression closer to others. More than anyone else, you probably already know what makes your friend laugh, so make sure you are using that knowledge to laugh with them often.
- Make sure you are humorous only in the right circumstances. If your friend is opening up to you or crying, you won't want to joke around.
- Don't get discouraged or be foolish if your friend doesn't smile. Sometimes it can be difficult for them to feel something, even good things, but hopefully things will improve over time.
Watch for symptoms of depression that recur. Your friend is feeling better does not mean he or she is completely cured. Depression is staging, which means it comes back often. People who are depressed often experience the disease in several episodes in their life. If your friend seems depressed, ask them what is going on.
- Say things like, “I see you seem very tired lately. When did you feel like this? ”
- Offer to support the same way you used to and continue to encourage this friend as you normally would.
Take care of yourself. Helping a friend who is struggling with depression is difficult. To make sure you don't suffer from an emotional crisis, you also need to take care of yourself carefully. Make sure to set aside 30 minutes a day for yourself. Use the time to focus on your needs, pamper yourself, or do what you want to do. Make sure that the things you do nourish your physical, mental, and / or emotional needs. Things you can do during this time include:
- go to yoga class
- a bubble bath
- reading books
- Journal about your thoughts and feelings
- meditate or pray
- walk or cycle
- Spend time with people who can support and motivate you to help your friend with depression
Advice
- Ask them what happened during the day. Don't forget them. Always talk to them about everyday life, and they'll have a chance to open up to you.
- Patience. Don't pull in more friends unless the friend is happy with other people joining. Best of all, remind your friend that you will always be with him or her. And when you say that, do it.
- Do a lot for your friend. Helping at work, making them forget their depressed mood or cheer them up for a while ... prevent and stop everyday troubles have make a change.
- Stress, anxiety or a particularly bad mood over a long period of time can lead to depression or make it worse. If your friend tends to have any of these, they must be determined to overcome them by regulating stress, positive thinking, and any effective therapies or techniques.
- Remember that mental disorder is still considered a stigma in today's society. So, before discussing your friend's condition with a third party, consult with that friend. You want to help them, not make them the subject of discussion.
- Antidepressants and other types of therapy like counseling can make a person feel worse for a while. Medicines can cause many side effects, and joining therapy can unleash long-buried problems and emotional pain. It is normal for a person to feel anxiety over these things; they will gradually become easier. Make sure your friends know that you will be with them when they need help.
- When choosing a therapist, doctor, or any professional, it is crucial to find someone who is experienced, knowledgeable about depression and treatment options, and has a personality that drives you. when you are around. It helps if you ask these people about their approach, and don't hesitate to change therapists or doctors if they don't qualify. People with depression need help from people who have knowledge, expertise and especially a desire for real help, instead of treating the person as a number or not really listening to the sick person. (This can have damaging effects).
- Don't try to make them feel better by pointing out that their lives are much better than the lives of others.
- Recovery is a difficult and time-consuming process. It won't happen overnight, even days or weeks, depending on the severity of the depression and what causes it, if any. The patient may experience "brief relapses" or temporary depression in recovery; This is perfectly normal, so feel secure when it happens, and remind your friend of the distance they've been through.
- If your friend is prescribed an antidepressant, make sure they know that they might require other concurrent therapy, such as counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or practice therapy. dialectical microbiology.
- Once you know the reason your friend is depressed, try not to change your way of dealing with that person.
- If the person with depression is close to you, be sure to regularly remind them of how important they are to you and how much you care about them. It is equally important to tell them about the positives they have brought in your life as well as that of others.
Warning
- Never say that their problem is stupid or nothing to worry about. They will stop sharing with you.
- Self-abuse syndrome is something that precedes your suicidal attempt, so observe your friend closely and continue to provide gentle encouragement and reassurance. However, self-abuse does not mean a person will have suicidal tendencies, usually it simply indicates that a person has serious problems with stress and / or anxiety; Although this may be a call for help, you should never assume that the person has suicidal intentions.
- Many attempts to commit suicide occur when people seem to have improved, instead of when they are extremely depressed.When someone is on the bottom, they don't have the energy to do anything; when their energies come back, this is when they can take action.
- If possible, during a crisis, call a medical professional or the suicide hotline before asking the police to intervene. There have been many cases where police interventions with people experiencing mental crisis lead to tremors or even death. When possible, contact people you are sure of have expertise and training with to deal with a mental or mental health crisis.
