No one suffers the same depression.
Like snowflakes, each depression is unique and, although they have the same essential principles, they manifest themselves with a complexity that cannot be replicated.
Andrew Solomon
A depressed person tends to feel immersed in an environment of misunderstanding, he needs his nearest entourage to overcome his condition, since the treatment he receives from others can improve his recovery process.
Have you ever wondered how this person, this friend, this family, this acquaintance who told you he was suffering from depression, felt?
It is important to understand how a person with depression feels, because through understanding a closer bond is established with them. Helping is much more a matter of understanding what the other person is going through than trying to keep them from feeling that way.
Everyone, to a greater or lesser degree, has already experienced many of the symptoms associated with depression. Feeling sad not knowing why; Lacking motivation to get what he wants, lack of desire and lack of interest in what he once liked to do; Do not find satisfaction in things that makes irritability, difficulty concentrating, etc.
A person with depression maintains these symptoms for an extended period of time, leads life with difficulty, and finds himself trapped in an ambivalence between what he would like to do and what he actually does.
The most common feeling is to think that there is no one in the world who can understand your truth about what is happening, because that person will feel overwhelmed and frustrated physically and emotionally.
The intention to help a loved one suffering from depression is not enough, it is also necessary to know what kind of things we are doing wrong, social support is important for people with depression, however, on many occasions this attempt at Support turns out to be the exact opposite, aggravating the situation.
When we see a loved one suffer, what is the first thing we try to do, in general it is to encourage him and want to make him see things as we see them, this is one of the behaviors that we must try. avoid and that repeats itself over and over again.
We just want to help, but when we face a person with depression, if we don’t do it right, we can do more harm than help.
That’s why it’s important to follow certain guidelines on how to act, to really help a person suffering from depression, especially knowing what kind of things aren’t recommended to do.
It is important that the person feels valued, sometimes we can tend to censor, mainly because this situation can be very frustrating because it requires patience and a lot of tact, it is essential to make it clear to the interested party that you value it and that they are important to you so that they do not fall into thinking that they are a burden.
Humor phrases can be counterproductive to the person suffering from depression, trying to encourage a person who doesn’t feel like doing anything can backfire, because that person, when prevented from regaining his energy and encouragement, feels even more guilty.
Don’t say phrases like, “Bravo, it’s nothing, it certainly happens!I understand how you feel, etc. ? All you can do is feel sadder and frustrated. With this type of message, tell the person that they are weak because they do not have the necessary strength, that they are responsible for not wanting to leave that state.
It is essential to accept that there is a problem and give it due importance. By trivializing and giving little value to what is happening, the depressed person will be even more disoriented and will not want to accept help.
Don’t pretend to be a psychologist. We often fall into the mistake of believing that we can fix what’s going on, but this is more complicated than it seems and requires professional attention.
Thus, while the support of loved ones is important, in most cases it is not sufficient, specialized assistance is essential, both in the diagnosis and in the definition of appropriate treatment and follow-up.
Making people with depression understand that they are not alone and that you are by their side for all they need unconditionally will be a great relief, with your support, realizing that you are there when she needs you, she will feel safer to face life.
It is always recommended that you consult a psychologist as soon as possible to facilitate the process and provide an adequate solution to the discomfort and suffering that the person is experiencing.