Depression is a mental disorder that paralyzes the person and send him/her into state of sadness, withdrawal and gloom. This debilitating phase extracts every bit of positive energy and fills in stress and sense of doom. Depression can linger on for long periods and can turn into serious disorders if left untreated.
Choose your words cautiously and do not say 8 things to someone with depression as the said words may worsen the condition and can contribute to suicide thoughts. A manual procedure used to diagnose mental orders defines a few symptoms as an indication of depression if persists in a person for at least two consecutive weeks:
- “Blue mood” stays for the whole week especially in the morning.
- Every effort seems fallible and worthless every day.
- Loss of concentration; being indecisive even on petty issues.
- A person is either not able to sleep or excessive sleep pervades whole day.
- Boredom suffuses every activity nearly every day.
- Provocative thoughts on ending life (not just fearing death).
- Anxiety seems to stay forever or tediousness.
- Extreme fluctuation in body weight; either loss or gain.
The chances are high that someone is in depression when any 5 of the above mentioned symptoms are ticked and that person needs treatment.
Do not take a person struggling with depression lightly. Even minor jests may increase the intensity of this mental disorder. Your intentions might be pure to cheer up the mood but the person under depression is not in a condition to take your suggestions or sarcasm.
Do not ever try saying these 8 things to someone with depression:
1. Never say, “Will you snap out of it already?”
Exclaiming this statement to a person in depression forces that person to introspect and withdraw from surroundings and people. It makes them feel that they are burden even on the near ones.
2. Never say, “It’s all in your mind.”
Our society is still incapable of accepting mental disorders as actual issues. People still think depression is a sign of weakness and by saying this statement to a depressed person, you are actually disregarding emotions.
3. Never say, “I thought you were stronger than this.”
Let them recover from depression and not discourage them by saying this statement. Depression drains all the mental and physical capability to think and act rationally. It’s not easy to bear it!
4. Never say, “suck it up, toughen up, life is hard for everyone.”
Compassion is required at the time of despair and so is for the sufferer. They need to believe that people care for their well-being and uttering such insensitive words will make them closer to doom.
Related article: 8 Signs You May Have Depression
5. Never say, “no one ever said life is fair.”
Depression deprives the person to steer clear and throw that person into depths of sadness. The need at that time is to shed light on the positives of life rather than saying such words.
6. Do not say to someone with depression to “grow up.”
At any age of your life, you can be the victim of depression. At grown up age people carry burden of responsibilities and with the overwhelming demands of life they hit by depression.
7. Never say, “Perhaps you should try learning from your mistakes.”
A person in the state of depression is insecure and feels all the failures of the world on the shoulders. By pointing out flaws in the personality, you are doing no good rather more harm to the situation.
8. Never say, “Happiness is a state of mind.”
Depression is not easy to conquer. There are many factors contributing to such state like: stress, anxiety or mourning. A healthy mind can think clearly but someone with depression cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.