First, discuss depression with the person you love.
List the symptoms. If you suspect that your loved one has depression, observe the symptoms carefully and learn more about his depression. List the symptoms you have observed. These symptoms must appear most of the day, almost every day, and last for at least 2 weeks.
be grieved
Lose interest or fun in what you used to like to do.
A marked decrease in appetite or weight.
Weight gain or overeating
Sleep problems (insomnia or excessive sleep)
Tired or tired.
Others can clearly feel that the patient is extremely excited or unwilling to move.
Feel useless or guilty
Unable to concentrate or decide.
Thinking about death or suicide repeatedly, trying to commit suicide or having suicide plans.
These symptoms may last for 2 weeks or more, then disappear for a while and then recur. It's not just "having a bad day". Their mood changes greatly, which affects their social activities or work.
Discuss depression with the person you love. Once he is found to be suffering from depression, he should be honest with each other and have a frank conversation with each other.
Explain to him that depression is a clinical disease. This is a disease that can be diagnosed and treated by doctors, and depression is real.
Be firm, avoid changing the subject, and let the other person face emotions. Make it clear that you are worried about them. Don't let him or her prevaricate with "I just had a bad month". If friends try to change the subject, turn it back to their emotional state.
Don't provoke. Remember, the other person has emotional problems and is vulnerable. Although your attitude must be firm, don't be too tough at first.
Second, help relatives ask for help.
Know when to seek professional help. Before you two try to solve the problem by yourselves, you should understand that untreated depression is very serious. You can help your friend, but he should also see a psychiatrist. Many types of therapists can help him, and everyone has their own skills or professional knowledge, including consulting psychologists, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists. You can receive one or more treatments.
Suggest different types of treatment. There are three therapeutic methods that are beneficial to patients and have the most stable effect, namely cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy and psychodynamic therapy. Depending on the patient's condition, he may benefit from different types of treatment.
Suggest taking medicine. Antidepressants can make patients feel better during counseling. Drugs can affect neurotransmitters in the brain, including the way they are synthesized and/or used, thus solving the problem. Antidepressants are classified according to the neurotransmitters they affect.
Take medicine and receive psychotherapy at the same time. In order to give full play to the role of drugs, patients should continue to receive psychotherapy regularly and take drugs on time during this period. It is recommended to consult the nearest mental health center. Of course, you can also use your mobile phone to search for "Ransheng Psychology" installation consultation in Tencent App Store without leaving home.
Encourage patients to be patient. You and the patient should be patient. Counseling and drugs are gradually taking effect. He must receive regular consultation for at least several months before he can see the effect. You two should give counseling and drugs enough time to work, and you should not give up hope.
Third, communicate with the people you love.
Be a good listener. The best thing you can do is to listen to the patient. Be prepared for anything he says. Even if he says something terrible, don't show shock, lest they close their hearts. Keep an open and caring attitude. Listen and don't criticize.
Know what to say. What people with depression need most is sympathy and understanding. When discussing depression, you should not only listen attentively, but also pay attention to what you say. When you talk about depression with patients, the following list may be helpful:
You are not alone in this matter. I will always be with you.
I understand that you are really sick, so you have those thoughts and emotions.
You may not believe it now, but these emotions will change.
I may not know exactly how you feel, but I care about you and want to help you.
You are very important to me, and it is very important for me that you live well.
Don't persuade them to "cheer up". Telling them to "cheer up" or "relax" usually doesn't help. Watch your mouth and pay attention to each other's feelings. Imagine that the whole world is against you and everything is not going well. What do you want to hear most at this time? For patients, depression is a real and painful disease.
Don't argue about each other's feelings. Don't try to persuade the other person to get rid of these negative emotions. The mood of depressed patients may be unreasonable, but you can't say that the other person is wrong or argue with them.
Help him find the positive side of things. When chatting with them, try to keep a positive dialogue. Don't pretend to be lively, just let them know that they can look at life and situation from a better perspective.
Fourth, help the people you love at any time.
Keep in touch. Call the patient, write an encouraging letter or card, or visit his home to show that you will support him no matter what happens. You can also keep in touch with people you care about in many different ways.
Take him for a walk. Take some time to walk outside, and the patient may feel better. It is very difficult to get people with depression out. Put forward to go outdoors to do activities he might like and breathe fresh air.
Get close to nature. Some studies show that being close to nature can reduce stress and improve mood.
Enjoy the sunshine together. Sunbathing can improve the level of vitamin D, thus improving the mood.
Encourage friends to develop new hobbies. If you participate and expect something, you may be able to divert your friends' attention and stop falling into depression (even for a moment).
Recognize a friend's achievements. Whenever a friend achieves a goal, recognize and congratulate him. Even a small goal, such as taking a bath or going to the grocery store, is a meaningful achievement for people with depression.
Improve the daily life of patients. You can encourage him to try new things and go out for a walk, but sometimes, it's best to start with daily chores to make him less lonely.
Fifth, avoid nursing burnout.
Let go occasionally. If you give good advice and comfort, but the other person is unhappy, even a little contradictory, you may feel discouraged. In fact, the other person's pessimism is not aimed at you. This is a symptom of depression, not an accusation against you.
Take care of yourself. Always paying attention to friends' problems, it's easy to ignore yourself. Being with people with depression may affect your mood or cause your own problems. It is normal to feel discouraged, helpless and angry.
Remember to take time out to do other things besides accompany patients. You are indeed a rare friend, give your friends physical and mental support, but also remember to arrange private time and enjoy a healthy and relaxed life.
Stay healthy. Do some outdoor activities, practice running 5 kilometers, or walk to the farmer's market. Do what you should do and keep your heart strong.
Take time to laugh. If you can't make depressed people happy, spend time with interesting people, watch a comedy, or read some funny jokes online.
You don't need to feel guilty about enjoying life. It is your friend who suffers from depression, not you. You have the right to enjoy life. Remind yourself that if you feel bad, you can't help your friends.
Understand depression. One of the most useful things you can do is to understand depression. For people with depression, these emotions are real. If you have never suffered from depression or other mental illness, it is difficult to understand the feelings of TAs. Read books or websites about depression, or discuss with a counselor.