10 notes when communicating with people with depression

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 300 million adults and children are living with depression. In modern life, it is difficult to avoid or limit communication with depressed people. Confronting, talking and living with depressed people in such a way that they do not increase their feelings of depression or depression requires ingenuity.

Here are 10 tips to help your loved one turn action into motivation for someone with depression.

Start a conversation

Start a conversation with the person with depression so they know their friends are there for them. The conversation should start by sharing your concerns and asking a specific question. Example: Looks like you’ve been having a hard time lately. The last time we went out together, I thought you were a bit down. Is there something going on with you that you would like to tell me about?…

People with depression want to hear about what they’re feeling instead of asking for advice. Therefore, do not turn the story into a lecture, which can easily put pressure on the depressed person.

Support in treatment

People with depression sometimes don’t know they are dealing with depression or they are unsure of their illness. You should tactfully show them what therapy is helpful, and help them find an experienced counselor. Next, help the depressed person make a list of what to ask the doctor and what they would like to talk about at the first meeting.

During therapy, people with depression often fall into a state of depression, do not want to leave the house and skip the treatment schedule with the doctor. Friends and loved ones should take care and encourage them to continue their treatment by letting them know that their treatment last week really worked, and that they will feel better today if they continue to see their doctor as appointment.

The same goes for medication, if someone with depression wants to stop taking it because of unpleasant side effects, it is advisable that they talk to a psychologist about switching to a different antidepressant rather than stopping suddenly. suddenly.

Offer to help with daily tasks

People with depression often feel overwhelmed with daily tasks such as laundry, shopping, cooking, cleaning… They will appreciate and feel comfortable when offered help, so instead of saying “When Call me if you need help”, consider saying “What do you need me to do today”. If possible, relatives should actively help them share the work without asking first.

Patient

Depression often improves with treatment, but it is a slow process and requires trying different methods and medications. Successful treatment does not mean that depression disappears completely, depression continues to have symptoms over time. So don’t put too much emphasis on waiting for a few more weeks to heal to avoid disappointment for both of you.

Keep contact

Even if it’s not possible to spend a lot of time with the person suffering from depression, family members should call, text, and visit from time to time so that the depressed person doesn’t fall into a sense of abandonment. People with depression are often withdrawn and avoid contact with people. Therefore, friends and relatives should do more to maintain friendship.

Blame

Depression isn’t anyone’s fault, so even if the depressed person gets angry at you, don’t say, “The depression isn’t my fault and I don’t deserve it.” Blaming will contribute to more negative emotions of the depressed person.

Try to repair

Depression is a serious mental health condition that requires professional treatment, and it can be difficult to understand exactly what depression feels like if you’ve never experienced it. When communicating with people with depression, encourage positivity by reminding them of the things you like about them, the positives they have. People around should limit fixing and adjusting people with depression through questions like “please do this, stop being sad”.

Don’t compare their experiences

Depression is not simply feeling sad or low. Sadness usually passes fairly quickly, while depression lingers and affects mood, relationships, work, school, and all other aspects of life for months or even years. .

If the depressed person talks about their condition, the other person should respond with “I understand, I know”, avoid comparing what they are going through with other people’s troubles or saying things like: but things could be much worse.”

When to intervene?

Depression can increase the risk of suicide or self-injury. Therefore, relatives and friends will be very helpful if they know how to recognize the signs of depression that need intervention.

Some signs that someone with depression may be contemplating suicide include: frequent mood or personality changes, talking about death, using drugs more than usual, giving away valuables price, talk about wanting a way out, push people away…

Take care of yourself

Last but not least, it’s important to talk to someone with depression that you need to take care of yourself. When you care about someone living with depression, it’s easy to abandon yourself. Spending a lot of time with a loved one who is depressed can sometimes take a toll on your mental health, so caregivers should know the limits of difficult emotions and make sure you take the time to recharge.

Mr. Chi (According to Healthline)