Depression is not just a bad mood that changes in an instant, but a serious disruption in the body, accompanied by insufficient production of hormones. That is why most of the standard phrases and actions used to uplift the spirits cause irritation, not a smile.
Instructions
Step 1
No need to offer a drink. Alcohol only temporarily improves mood, but during the period of withdrawal symptoms, depression will only intensify, since ethanol has an extremely negative effect on the nervous system. Better buy a chocolate bar, make strong coffee and listen to your friend.
Step 2
You should not constantly talk about the need to visit a doctor, it is better to suggest taking a walk to the clinic to do together. You can enroll a friend to see a psychiatrist at a paid hospital so that no one knows about it.
Step 3
There is no need to assure that soon it will get much better, because depression does not go away in one day or a week if it is not treated. The constant expectation of "tomorrow" will start to drive a friend into even more despondency, which will end in disappointment the very next morning.
Step 4
Reminding you to take pills means losing your friend. It begins to seem that he is considered mentally ill, and this only worsens the mood and causes aggression. It is unlikely that an adult in a depressed state himself does not try to somehow solve the problem, including medication.
Step 5
Do not try to play up the situation from the positive side, assuring that nothing terrible has happened. This will not change the state, and the friend will begin to consider you almost an enemy, trying to scoff at every opportunity.
Step 6
It cannot be argued that the problems that caused depression are not as serious as they seem at first glance. All people are different, so the perception of the situation is different. If one person does not pay much attention to a series of failures, the other will fall into extreme despair, plunged into the realm of bad mood.
Step 7
The fact that others have even more problems, and life is worse, will not save the situation. There is no need to mention the difficulties of other people at all, because it is better to set your friend in a positive mood, trying to show that everything is fine, even when it is raining outside the window.
Step 8
Don't ask how you are every day. Depression does not go away overnight, therefore, it is unlikely that a friend will be able to please you with good news, and your question will be perceived as a mockery of himself.
Step 9
Don't offer to get a dog, a cat, a new love. During a period of depression, a person cannot even take care of himself, let alone someone! Be patient, because complete apathy and bad mood will still pass, but you need to wait a bit. Some people get better after a couple of weeks, others struggle for months with an indifferent state and a complete unwillingness to live.
