Top 7 ways to help a depressed person

1. Educate yourself about Depression and Mood disorder:

The first thing to do if you want to help someone dealing with depression is to learn more about the illness. If you never suffered from depression, it can be difficult to empathize with someone who is dealing. There are lots of articles and videos over the internet which can help you in this research.

To know more about Depression and Mental Health, you can check my previous two articles. It will help you a lot to know about this.

2. Become a good listener without judgment:

One of the most powerful things a person can do is listen to a loved one and air their emotions. A person should avoid telling the individual what to feel or solve their problem.

When people get depressed, they often feel very isolated. They may feel that they have no one they can talk to about their problems. You can tell anyone that you have a bad cold, and you will get some sympathy. But it’s difficult for a depressed person to talk about how they are feeling. Be there for your love once and let them do the talking.

Helping is not about giving advice, as a person may not know the right advice to give unless they have mental health training. Just listening without judgment can make the person of concern feel understood and less alone.

Be open and welcoming.

3. Take their feelings seriously:

If someone is living with depression, they can't snap out of it, cheer up or forget about it by themselves. Acknowledge that what’s happening must be difficult to handle, don’t tell them that their feelings are weird or unfounded.

When talking to someone dealing with depression, don’t try to make it light of the condition. Depression is a serious illness. You won’t help a depressed person by telling them to cheer up or pull themselves together and get over it.

4. Offer practical help:

Depressed people sometimes neglect everyday tasks. You might find that they don’t have enough food in their home or are not keeping on top of household chores. A depressed person might also find it difficult to open their mail and pay the bills or do any usual work they used to do. You can’t cure a loved one depression, but you can offer practical help. Ask your loved one how you can help in a small way:

Help schedule appointments
Provide a ride to and from appointments
Grocery shop and do other tasks with your loved one
Offer to take a walk together a few times a week
Ask if you can help around the house
Offer to watch movies or get out of the house together.

5. Encourage them to get help:

Depression seldom gets better without treatment, and it can actually worsen over time. Research shows that both antidepressant medications and cognitive therapy are effective in alleviating symptoms.

If a person is very depressed, they must seek professional advice. There are support groups and counselors who can provide help. They need medication to ease their condition. Could you encourage them to talk with the doctor? It can be a good idea to encourage the person experiencing to seek professional help.

6. Be Patient:

It can be very frustrating dealing with a friend who has depression. There may be times when you would rather walk away and get on with your own life. Don’t lose your patience. Don’t desert a friend; they need your help the most.

7. Take care of yourself:

Caring for someone who is dealing with depression can feel overwhelming and be exhausting. It is important to remember that an individual cannot cure somebody’s depression. Depression can affect anyone. The next person who needs help with depression could be you.

Things you should avoid:

Do not tell them to ‘snap out of it’ or ‘harden up’- people cannot improve themselves.
Do not encourage excess alcohol or drug use as a way to cope; it can worsen things.
Do not avoid them. They already feel alone, and this can make the situation worst.
Don’t say, “I know exactly how you feel.” Because this is not a helpful way to make someone feel understood, especially when they are going through a depression.
Don’t say, “everyone gets depression sometimes.” This sounds dismissive.
Don’t say, “you have no reason to be depressed.” It can make people feel guilty, ashamed.
Don’t say, “Don’t be so negative. Think happy”. If it is that simple, depression would not exist.
Do not judge or criticize them for what they are going through.
Don’t try to be an expert.
Don’t belittle the condition.

If you think someone is at immediate risk of self-harm or hurting another person:

Call local emergency number.
Stay with the person until help arrives.
Remove any guns, knives, medications, or others that may cause harm.
- Listen, but don’t judge, argue, threaten, or yell.