Many people think of depression as just an intense sadness. They know very little about the full experience. It's not uncommon for people to tell someone who's depressed to snap out of it, to get busy or to stop being preoccupied with her own troubles. But depression often isn't so easily resolved. Explaining the nature of clinical depression can help those dealing with a loved one or friend who is feeling sad and hopeless. And it just might help them get help for that person.
Step 1
Tell your friend about the prevalence of depression. Every year, depression is experienced by 15 million American adults--more than 5 percent of the adult population, according to National Alliance on Mental Illness. Help her understand the gender differences. NAMI reports that depression is twice as likely to affect a woman as a man. Tell her about the increased risk of experiencing more than one episode. NAMI notes that 50 percent of those who experience one episode will experience more depressive episodes, happening as often as twice a year.
Step 2
Explain the symptoms. Let your friend know how depression might present. Help her understand that depression can include feeling sad, losing interest in activities, feeling hopeless and worthless, being irritable, eating more or less, sleeping significantly more or less, being fatigued and unable to concentrate, abusing alcohol or drugs and thinking about death or suicide, reports the Mayo Clinic.
Step 3
Offer insight into how a depressed person thinks. Explain the negative thought patterns that are generally associated with depression. People who are depressed engage in negative self-talk; this means they tend to think the worse, are pessimistic and tend to remember the negatives while dismissing the positives, according to the Help Guide website.
Step 4
Talk about how treatment works and the positive effects it can have. Explain the various forms of treatment. According to NAMI, there are three well supported treatments for depression: medication, psychotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy. NAMI reports that treatment gets 80 to 90 percent of those who are depressed back to their daily lives and routines. Help your friend understand the necessity of treatment and how it can change a depressed person’s life. Treatment will help change negative thinking patterns, increase positive socialization and develop skills and techniques to keep depression symptoms at bay.
Step 5
Deepen your friend's understanding of the risk of suicide. Depression can, at its worst, lead to suicide, according to the Mayo Clinic. Explain the warning signs. These can include being preoccupied with death, dying or violence, engaging in high-risk or self-destructive behaviors, giving valuable items away and talking about suicide. Make sure she understands the importance of taking suicidal behaviors seriously.
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