How do you help a friend with depression?
I am 14. My friend gets very depressed. She was never diagnosed with depression, but she gets very depressed at least once or twice a week. Im not sure if she is really depressed or if she just wants attention. When she gets depressed, I try to be very positive and optimistic as I can around her. I try getting her to laugh by telling her funny jokes, but it doesn't seem to work. Does anyone know how to help a friend with depression?
Right Lemme' give you the low down (:
1: Thanks for bothering to ask for help on how to help someone else that needs your help and acknowledging ( sp?) it.
2: Even if it is for attention, she still must have a problem, Nobody should crave that much attention, the frequently without having a problem.
3: Okay, it's nice that your trying yo make her laugh alot, but thats not what she always needs, it helps for about 10 minutes but then everything comes back.
talking is a massive helper, nobody said it would cure anybody, but once you've shared a problem it's a problem halfed. Remeber your friend will have to trust you before she may tell you everything, so never tell ANYONE, ANYTHING she has told you, because then you will be breaking your trust with each other. ( obvuisly she will do this in return and won't tell anyone your problems )
4: Thanks for being such a good person. We need more people like you. (:
What can family members do for a person with postpartum depression who is refusing help?
A family member is making excuses for every suggestion given to her. What can we do to convince her to get the help she needs. She is slipping further into postpartum depression.
Refusing help is a sign of depression. The more you try to help, the more they resent you for it.
The important thing is to keep yourself healthy and not let it affect the rest of the family or the child/children.
How to help others cope with depression?
I know that I am depressed and have a bad body image/low-self esteem (due to the past).
My boyfriend knows it as well and it really bothers him. He wants to help but doesn't know what to do and gets really frustrated and angry with me.
What can I tell him to do to help me out?
Is there anything that he can do to help me deal with it?
What kind of tips would you give to another to help one deal with depression?
Please help, this is tearing my relationship apart.
When you are really down, he can help doing some chores, like make supper that night and clear away the dishes or whatever chore that is hard for you & just can't do when depressed.
Pop a comedy DVD into the player, or take you out to your favorite restaurant, budget permitting. Go on a vacation together, even if only one night in a resort, or in a motel or camping, again, depending on your budget.
Go walking together. Exercise helps depression A LOT.
Ask him to help you get involved in activities together, so you are busy and not sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. Such as a hobby, or playing string with the cat, fishing, etc. Explain that it is hard for you to be motivated, so you need help in that department.
Counseling would be a good option for you. If you think your depression might be chronic or genetic, you probably need medication. Also if your depression is very severe (suicidal, or can't hold down a job) Watch out for the SSRI's like prozac - that's the end of your sex life.
Remind him that it isn't him that is the problem, it is you, and he can't fix you. He shouldn't take everything personally. If you are sharp with him, be sure to apologize.
I hope something here helped - I have very severe bipolar disorder and many of these things have helped me & I am happily married. I have taken hubby into counseling with me on many occasions also, and that helped us form a team approach to handling my symptoms.
How is it possible for a person to leave depression behind without medical help?
I did just this after 3 years of depression.
My depression culminated in an attempted suicide at age 10.
The modern view in medicine is that suicide is a consequence of failing to cope with "depression".
There is plenty of information regards this topic online, but hardly any on how a person can overcome depression without medical help, this is why i want to know what you think is a persons reason/s for leaving depression behind without medical help.
Thanks.
I think that would depend on how severe the depression and what was causing it. Everyone gets depressed. EVERYONE. It just depends on a lot of factors. But yes, I think that you could hit a rut, stay down for a while, and then pull yourself back out if you know how to do that. But I think that some depression is so severe that without coping skills you probably couldn't overcome it. That does not mean that you will definitely kill yourself. I think that there are many people that have lived there whole life with depression, never did anything about it, and didn't die by commiting suicide.