3 ways to handle being a friend to a depressed person

diipo adeusi

March 14, 2016 10:42 PM

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, yet most Nigerian don’t know how to deal with it. Here’s how to handle being a friend to a depressed person.

Depressed black woman

Depression is a very delicate state of mind and it takes caution to deal with it. so, how do you deal with a friend with severe depression? Here are three tips to guide you:

Forgiveness:

One of the landmarks of depression is that the symptoms often seem like choices, such as your friend not reaching out to say hi. Once you understand that you are not being targeted but are rather collateral damage from what your friend is going through, then you won’t demand an apology from them. However, depressed people can do wrong in the usual ways that usual people do.

True friendship:

Keep in touch, however make it absolutely easy for the person to refuse your contact. For example, you could include in your messages, “No need to call/text back — I just wanted to say hi.” If you see something that reminds you of her, send it, but include a note: “I saw this and thought of you — no need to get back to me.” Removing that duty to respond upfront lets the pure caring shine through.

Both ways:

It’s a great idea that you don’t owe each other any apologies, however, when you do, it reminds you that you care about each other. However, it does need to be a mutual effort. On one hand, the extra mile is to apologize for the other’s misery, although it wasn’t intentional. On the other hand, the extra mile is not waiting for an apology from someone who went through a truly crazy experience.

If you do have a friend or relation who is battling depression, it is a truly serious disease that demands your attention, sensitivity, care and love. Try out these steps and let us know what you think.

diipo adeusi