This week, Ashley Easter shares five easy ways to support someone you love through depression.
Depression affects millions of people every year. Chances are at some point in
your life you will have a friend or loved one who is experiencing depression.
You may know someone struggling with depression right now. But how can you, as
an outsider looking in, know how to best support your struggling loved one
through this dark season of time?
In the following post we will cover 5 ways you can support a friend through a season of depression:
1. Get Informed
Our society perpetuates a lot of misconceptions about depression. Many people use the term “depression” as a catch all for anytime they are feeling sad but clinical depression isn’t synonymous with ordinary sadness. Clinical depression continues for an extended length of time and may include symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in eating habits, lack of interest in activities one once loved, suicidal thoughts, and yes, feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
For you to be the best support for your friend, you need to become educated on the truth about depression. Instead of relying on pop culture's depression diagnosis read medical journals and online medical articles or talk with a professional about the effects of depression. The more you understand what your loved one is going through the more you will be able to effectively support them.
2. Have Compassion vs. Condemnation
When supporting a loved one through a season of depression, it is essential not to heap on additional condemnation. Your friend is likely already having self-deprecating thoughts. Don’t add more weight to their burden. Avoid painting depression as their fault and in their total control. It is not helpful to suggest that they pray harder, think happier thoughts, or buck up and move on. Because
In the following post we will cover 5 ways you can support a friend through a season of depression:
1. Get Informed
Our society perpetuates a lot of misconceptions about depression. Many people use the term “depression” as a catch all for anytime they are feeling sad but clinical depression isn’t synonymous with ordinary sadness. Clinical depression continues for an extended length of time and may include symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in eating habits, lack of interest in activities one once loved, suicidal thoughts, and yes, feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
For you to be the best support for your friend, you need to become educated on the truth about depression. Instead of relying on pop culture's depression diagnosis read medical journals and online medical articles or talk with a professional about the effects of depression. The more you understand what your loved one is going through the more you will be able to effectively support them.
2. Have Compassion vs. Condemnation
When supporting a loved one through a season of depression, it is essential not to heap on additional condemnation. Your friend is likely already having self-deprecating thoughts. Don’t add more weight to their burden. Avoid painting depression as their fault and in their total control. It is not helpful to suggest that they pray harder, think happier thoughts, or buck up and move on. Because
Instead of telling your friend what they should do better listen when they are willing to share how they are feeling. Offer empathy, understanding, and words of kindness. Remind them that they are loved and that you are proud of them even during this time of depression. Your compassionate presence will go a long way even if you don't have many words to say.
3. Use The Number Scale
When someone is in the darkness that is depression, sometimes it is hard for them to communicate their feelings even when they are in a mind frame that could lead to self-harm. This is understandable and asking for a person with depression to describe their feelings when they are in deep pain can be overwhelming and ineffective. That is why I like to use the number scale.
Ask your loved one to rank on a scale from one to 10 how they are feeling. 1 represents feelings of happiness, 5 represents mid grade depressive feelings, and 10 represents plans for self harm. The numbers in between help a person gauge how close or far away they are from these markers, when they are worsening, and if they are approaching a dangerous phase.
If possible present this scale when your loved one is feeling good or moderately good. Discuss how this can help them effectively communicate with few words in overwhelming seasons.
This can be a great tool in tough times and can help you monitor the changes in your loved one's feelings if they are willing to honestly share.
4. Find Professional Help
Depression is not a personality flaw or a spiritual sin issue it is a mental health condition and often requires professional support to find solutions. If your close friend or loved one is going through several weeks on depressive symptoms suggest that they reach out to their medical doctor and start treatment with a licensed therapist. The therapist may be able to get to the root of the stress or trauma causing the depression and provide ideas for self-care and recovery. If the issue is chemical or hormone imbalance a medical doctor and can perform simple tests and ask appropriate questions so they can prescribe medication to relieve the symptoms of depression.
Sometimes in the middle of depression a person doesn’t feel able to make appointments for themself. Offer to assist them in finding a doctor or therapist, and with their permission, you may even be able to set up and attend the appointment with them.
If at any time you feel your loved one may be considering self-harm immediately call 911. You do not need their permission for this and it could save their life.
5. Remind Them Of Who They Are
Your loved one is experiencing depression, they themselves are not depression. Take time to remind your friend of this. Remind them of what they mean to you and others. Let them know they are not a burden, they are your friend and that you are happy to support them during this difficult time.
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