When a friend, spouse or family member is going through depression, your words of encouragement play a major role in their recovery. You can support them, help them avoid negative thoughts and help them heal quickly. However, you must take care of them as sensitively as you would expect for your own self. It isn’t the easiest job to take care of someone undergoing depression, but we are here with some ways to speak to a friend who claims to be depressed.
Acknowledge Their Condition Even If You Do Not Fully Understand It
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Depression is a serious but treatable disease. It’s symptoms aren’t as straight forward as a physical disease and you might not even notice them upfront. However, if a friend of yours claims to be suffering from it, don’t rubbish their claims as ‘mood swings’ or a ‘sudden emotional outburst’. Help them convey their feelings and thoughts clearly. What you can do to help them start a treatment is to create an environment where they can feel safe to talk about their mental state. It is a serious disease and they can’t just “sleep on it” with an expectation to wake up feeling better. Be empathetic because you really might have no idea of the depths of their feelings.
Resort To Professional Help
You can’t “fix” your friend no matter how much you’d want to. There might be times where you might feel helpless, angry or even frustrated by an elongated period of depression that your friend is going through. Ensure that your friend is seeking professional help – just like you would go to a doctor when you have a fever. It is the right path to untie all the knots gradually and deal with the root issue of it all with the help of a psychology expert. Don’t try to push the problem under the carpet just because it is beyond a layman’s understanding.
Be Compassionate
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In most cases, you don’t even know where to start a conversation from, with a friend who is depressed because you wouldn’t want to risk hitting the wrong note. You can start by asking them how they are feeling or what have they been doing recently. It is important to be kind and forgiving. Don’t expect them to be okay after one impactful conversation with them. People undergoing depression tend to isolate themselves, and believe it or not – they are used to many such impactful talks. They could just use a conversation about random stuff that doesn’t clock back to their current state. Make them feel good, and help them indulge in productive activities apart from helping them deal with depression. Don’t make EVERYTHING about your friend’s depression. It will frustrate both, them and your bonding.
As a friend, you may want to be there for them but you are going to have to put it out there for your friend again and again. They might withdraw initially because they don’t want to burden or scare you away. Be gentle, yet persistent because that’s what a good friend would do. Please do not bail out. But, please also remember to take care of yourself. No help should come at your own cost.
