Depression: I Want To Help!

Knowing someone close to you that is experiencing an extreme sense of anxiety and depression has something to do with the eagerness of your role to help. The depression can also affect your positivity so you should try and consider working on the guidelines for helping them regain their energy and optimism. The kind of medical condition they have needs support and proper understanding to be able to cope up with the struggle. Since depression is a severe mental illness, it should not be taken lightly.

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Why Would I Help?

Depression causes extensive problems and complex emotions that affect different types of persons in their daily activities. “Depression is exhausting to the person suffering from it. Just accomplishing the bare minimum can seem like too much work.”  As explained by Kurt Smith, Psy.D., LMFT, LPCC, AFC. Though the symptoms and diagnoses may vary from one person to another, the treatment you have to offer should start on how you interact with them.  In this sense, you will not only gather information about the proper guidelines you need to do but will also understand the importance of the personal care you can provide.

 

Make A Careful Approach – A depressed person has a lot of reasons to fail in communication. It could be a mixture of unclear messages using an aggressive tone. You have to be patient in communicating so you can openly talk about the issue without him feeling pressured or stressed out. You can always start the conversation by asking about how his day was or what he is feeling right now.

 

Consider The Emotional Struggle – It might take time to be able to heal, so you have to be considerate enough in expressing your thoughts about a person’s action. You have to make sure that you carefully choose the right words to say to avoid him from lashing out. Remember that too many hurtful words can actively make them think about suicide, so there should be no room for that idea to come up. “Give yourself permission to do some serious emotional healing to become your happiest self and remember, it is a process more than a destination.” A reminder from Roya R. Rad, MA, PsyD.

 

Do Not Put The Blame – The extreme sadness came from too much emotional stress that a person can’t handle. The reason why you are trying to help him is that you can. Don’t judge cynical actions based on his medical condition but rather appreciate his effort in dealing with depression.

 

Patiently Assess His Problems – Depression is not something that you can always throw away whenever you don’t want it anymore. Don’t try to force someone to get better just because you don’t want him to feel that way. Always remember that the recovery process might take him long enough before you can make a bad or good conclusion about his mental state.

 

Encourage Him To Get Help – The support you give to a depressed person can somehow contribute to his well-being. However, you still need to encourage him to get professional help. You should consider seeking a therapist to be able to get a precise result on his medication.  In Dr. Nikki Martinez, Psy.D. blog, she says, “If you are struggling with low self-esteem, it is encouraged that you seek some type of help and support to work through this issue, and to help you be the best version of yourself that you can be.”

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Being positive should become your primary goal in dealing with someone who suffers from anxiety and depression. You have to let the person close to you know that your presence and support are whole-heartedly given to them to be able to contribute to their healing process. The mental illness they have may affect you, but you have to understand that your support is also key to their recovery.