Markethealthbeauty.com | How To Help A Friend With Depression – Many people want to help their friends who are experiencing depression, but don’t know how to do it properly. As a result, these actions, even exacerbate the situation. Then, what’s the right way to calm down a depressed friend?
How To Help A Friend With Depression
Helping a depressed friend should not be done carelessly. Instead of improving the situation, the wrong way can actually worsen the condition and make you emotionally drained.
Here are some ways to properly calm a depressed friend.
1. Find out more about depression
Before giving help, it’s a good idea to find out about mental health and its disorders, especially depression. That way, you can better understand what your friends are feeling.
Plus, studying depression will help you figure out what you can and can’t do. It is feared that inaccurate assistance will exacerbate the situation.
2. Listen to his complaints well
The Next Way How To Help A Friend With Depression is to listen to his complaints well. The simplest thing you can do is listen to a friend who is depressed. Listen carefully to the story without commenting and judging.
The psychic condition of people with depression is different from that of a healthy person. Depression makes it difficult for them to think clearly, make decisions, and be positive.
Judging actually made him even worse. Simply be quiet and listen to his every word while giving support through a hug or a handheld.
Another way to cheer up a depressed friend is to let them know that you will try to be there when they need help. This will make them feel heard, supported, and not alone.
3. Keep communication to always be connected
People who are experiencing depression tend to withdraw from the environment. They prefer solitude to silence.
For that, you need to maintain communication with friends who are depressed. Just asking how they are or asking to meet can make their mood change better.
In addition, your friends will also feel that there are still people who care and sincerely think about them.
4. Keep friends away from dangerous objects
The Next Way How To Help A Friend With Depression is keep him away from dangerous objects. Severe depression can increase a person’s risk of making a sui**cide attempt. So that this does not happen, make sure it is far from objects that can be the trigger.
You can do this during your visit to make sure things are okay. If you find a dangerous object, get rid of it while you can.
5. Direct to seek help of a psychologist or psychiatrist
It is not easy to invite people who are depressed to seek help, especially if your friend is experiencing depression in disguise. He will consider himself okay and it only takes time to be alone.
If friends ask for your help, direct them to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist. That way, he can get the right treatment.
Let them know that depression is a health problem that should not be ignored. If necessary, you can personally accompany your friend to seek professional help.
6. Support the treatment being undertaken
The Next Way How To Help A Friend With Depression is support the treatment. After consulting a psychologist or psychiatrist, people with depression will be given medication or therapy. You can help a friend who is depressed by reminding him of his medication.
Some actions that can be taken so that the treatment runs smoothly, including:
- Ensuring that prescribed depression medications are available,
- Accompanying therapy,
- Recommend lifestyle changes, and
- Ask to do a check-up routine with the doctor.
In helping a depressed friend, patience is required of you. Remember, depression is not a mental disorder that can simply go away without treatment.
Things not to do when a friend is depressed
The wrong way to cheer up a depressed friend can have negative consequences. Make sure you don’t take the following actions so as not to make things worse.
- Assume that the problems they face are trivial and not serious.
- Encourage them to relieve feelings of sadness by taking drugs or drinking alcohol.
- Said that the problem would just go away.
- Give unsolicited advice.
- Criticizing that what they did was wrong.
Various ways to properly help a depressed friend
- Find out in advance about depression, from the symptoms to the dangers.
- Listen to the complaints of friends properly without giving judgment.
- Maintain communication so that you are always connected.
- Keep it away from dangerous objects that increase the risk of sui**cide.
- Directing to ask for help to a psychologist or psychiatrist in order to get the right treatment.
- Support the treatment being undertaken.