Supporting Someone with Depression: Five Helpful Points and Five Unhelpful Points
Five Ways to Be Supportive:
1. Encourage them to reach out to a professional for help. People often worry about what others may think if they try to get help. Let them know it’s okay and they are not alone.
2. Help if you’re able to provide help in any way and are willing to offer, then ask if they need help with something if you’re sincere about helping.
3. Empathize and try to put yourself in their shoes. Understanding what another person goes through is priceless.
4. Patience can go a long way. It can be hard talking or interacting with your friends and family who are experiencing depression but having patience with them can help them feel supported without being judged.
5. Listen to them; sometimes they just need someone to listen.
Five Ways that are NOT supportive:
1. Being judgmental about their situation and providing unsolicited advice.
2. Don’t offer to help if you’re not serious or if it’s beyond your emotional control. Just stay encouraging.
3. Don’t brag about what’s going on in your life; be sensitive to their situation.
4. Being preachy or giving lectures isn’t going to help them get better. Try being patient and quietly supportive. It can be hard not giving your two cents but try refraining from giving them an unapproved sermon or TED talk.
5. There’s a theme with these points – listen more than you talk unless they continue to ask for your opinion and thoughts. Even though it’s hard when you see someone you care about struggling, if you push too hard they’re going to pull back. If you’re having trouble with not speaking your mind then just take a breather and let them know you’re there for them when they’re ready to reach out.