Depression is a mental state of mind where one loses interest in their daily activities and there persists a feeling of sulking and sadness. But it is always to be kept in mind that it is very much different from grief or prolonged sadness over a matter. It is estimated that depression affects one in every fifteen adults per year. It is also believed that women are more likely to suffer from depression than men. Depression may affect a person at any given age but there are probable chances that it might affect people in the age group 15-28 years. However, depression is very much curable and it is also among the most treatable of mental disorders.
To actually help someone with depression one should first put themselves in their shoes and know what depression is all about and that is a normal thing that affects almost thousands of people and a depressed person’s behavior isn’t indicative of the real person. There are many ways to uplift a person’s mood and help him/her overcome the issue and make them feel significant in a world where they feel they have lost themselves.
Contents
Depression: Supporting a family member or friend
Below are mentioned few such methods to help someone with depression:
Be there for them
It is very important for a person suffering from depression to know that it is absolutely normal and that they are not weak and worthless. One need to make them feel acknowledged and appreciated. To do this one has to listen what the depressed person actually has to say. That requires a lot of patience. A person dealing with a depressed person has to exhibit patience and give out their ears to their problems and be their shoulder to cry on. For a depressed person to know that there is someone to listen to them can always make them feel happy about something.
Offer hope
There is no person in this world who lives without hope. Any hope is someone’s life keeps them going and makes them feel happy about it. It may happen that a person suffering from depression might have lost this hope and does not feel lively and want to end their life. It becomes our responsibility to regain that same hope to them that makes them want to live and gain that achievement or live that moment. It may be anything – parent’s love, child love, determination to succeed in something, etc.
Love them unconditionally
A person suffering from depression might think that their problem has become a source of frustration, irritation, and anger for their friends, near relatives or even their parents/siblings. It is of utmost importance to let them know that it’s only their illness which is temporary. Love, care and affection are such beautiful emotions that can even make a fit person happy and bloom. These affections need to be gestured towards the depressed person which in turn will make them feel that they are not unwanted and people do care about their existence.
Encourage them
People suffering from depression generally suffer from negativity moodiness and hostility. To recover from depression does not happen overnight. It requires patience and a lot of compassion. It is significant to encourage them and lead them by example to lead a healthier life by eating better, exercising, avoiding alcohol and drugs, etc. One can also encourage certain activities like to go for an outing together, watch a movie, have family picnics, etc.
Medical treatment
As mentioned above, depression is always curable. There is always some kind of medical assistance available to a person suffering from depression. One should try seeking help from medical professionals as they would suggest some tonics and better ways to deal with this situation. A doctor can rule out the reasons and causes for the depression also which can be of great help in dealing with those issues. Also, there are certain helplines like Roshni, Cook, Connecting.. etc that helps people suffering from mental illness to deal with it.
Recommended for you:
How to Keep Hope Alive During the Tough Times
To help someone suffering from depression can be incredibly difficult mostly because it might not be easy to deal with their moods. But these few methods mentioned above can be of real help. It is important to distract them and mould them in a way that makes them feel good about their life and surroundings and bring back their life in tracks. One should indulge in activities to help such people by being their support structure and executing every possible idea to help them deal with depression.
