10 Proven Ways to Help Someone With Depression

10 Proven Ways To Help Someone You Know With Depression

​#1 – Be There For Them

By far one of the best ways to care for someone struggling with Depression is to be a shoulder for them to lean on. It allows them to know that they have an open place to go to where they are welcome and feel comfortable expressing their emotions to as they know they are in an environment where they are not being judged.

​#2 – Don’t Judge Too Soon

Words are powerful to anyone in harmful and harmless situations. It is easy to judge and criticize somebody without even noticing which can become quite upsetting to someone suffering with Depression. Many people claim that judgemental comments and expressions can make their recovery worsen as it can restrict their opportunity to express their emotions or even feel welcome in the environment that they are in. Instead of saying, “It’s all in your head” it is better to say “Please tell me how I can help you.”

​#3 – Encourage Their Goals

Depression creates as the false idea that they are alone in their journey which is not necessarily true. It helps to push them towards their goals and keep them motivated to carry on each day and pursue their short- and long-term dreams. These goals could be as simple as making the bed at the beginning of the day and doing laundry that can then move on to bigger and more significant goals.

​#4 – Rewarding and Acknowledging Their Accomplishments

When fighting as battle like Depression tasks that we complete automatically everyday can turn into a struggle. As little as cleaning up after themselves to quitting or getting fired from their jobs as they become uncapable of performing the required tasks. During the process of recovery, overcoming these simple, everyday tasks turn into milestones that deserve a reward – it could be as simple as a coffee date or a good book, anything is a sign of acknowledgement.

​#5 – Understand What They Are Going Through

A well known quote from the fictional character, Atticus Finch, once said, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” He is exactly right. You may not be able to understand the full grasp of their situation, but it helps to know what they might be feeling and how they would want to be treated because of it.

​#6 – Help Them in Their Time of Need

Someone suffering from an illness as serious as Depression, it is important to chip in where and when they might need you most. Vulnerability is a major feeling in Depression, it helps to know that someone is there to help them to make and commit to appointments, seeking treatment, medication and keeping up with day-to-day tasks that they might find extremely difficult to complete.

​#7 – Don’t Give Advice

Though it seems like the most liable move to make, most people suffering from Depression don’t want to hear your advice no matter how helpful it may be. They need to learn to recover at their own rate and by using strategies that suit them most. Changes in their lifestyle probably needs to be made, but these changes are extremely difficult to make mid-way through a depressive episode. This does not mean to hold off any advice forever but when they are ready for it, they will need it.

​#8 – Avoid Minimising or Comparing Their Experience

Creating a comparison with someone’s mental health can minimise their feelings entirely – almost as if they really don’t matter which will enforce what they are going through. It is hard to find the right phrases to cheer someone up, but an instant high of happiness is not going to relieve their Depression for good. Using phrases like “I could be worse” or “We’ve all been there” generally doesn’t help. Whereas validating their pain can help them the most as they eventually learn to accept, move on and recover from what they are experiencing.

​#9 – Know When to Intervene

Depression can causes a lot of build of emotions that can be the cause of dangerous situations such as self-harm and even suicidal thoughts or attempts. It is important to know when it is necessary to bring a professional – like a doctor or therapist – to take over the situation. Signs can be as blunt as having self-harmful thoughts and mood swings to purchasing a weapon or participating in dangerous behaviour in general.

​#10 – Check in On Them

When someone is experiencing major or minor signs of Depression requires a simple, direct conversation regarding your concern for their mental health. This should be done without accusing, blaming or threatening them but instead, interact in a way that lets them know you are concerned and will be there for them in their time of need. Establishing whether someone has a problem with Depression can lead to their next step in recovery and can prevent serious scars in their mental health and – sometimes – even physically.