Redditor Heavy-Strain32 wanted to discuss the best ways to help a person suffering.
They asked:
"What's the most genuine thing you can say to a person going through depression?"
I always appreciate someone willing to cry with me. That is a big help. Just a suggestion.
Genuine
‘"It’s really difficult isn’t it.' I loved this line that my therapist said when I was sharing my struggles. There was no judgment, no advice, just felt like I was genuinely being heard."
xlOREOlx
Season 4 Hug GIF by Good GirlsGiphyBest Way
"This is like my favorite show of sympathy/empathy I've ever witnessed. Zuko hearing Sokka tell him about his girlfriend: "that's rough, buddy."
"Not saying sorry for your loss and putting the weight of saying 'it's ok' on the one experiencing the pain, no 'here's a relevant story of mine to show how I can relate' just..."
"'Sh*t man, the thing you went through was rough and you're justified for feeling this way.'"
Exodan
I miss that guy...
"My boss once said to me 'there's nothing wrong with what you're feeling - you're sick. And it's not something that's easy to live with. don't feel bad because you have an illness you can't fix - you wouldn't expect someone with cancer to feel bad, would you?' He then gave me a man hug and we had beers and a vent session for three hours. I miss that guy."
frothy_Wombat
Basics
“I’m grilling tonight, wanna come over?”
"Honestly, when I’ve been depressed there is a double layer of shame. Being treated as a friend just like any other made it feel like I was still part of society and community. Being treated with mittens makes you feel even more worthless and a pariah."
ThinkIGotHacked
Love
"I love you buddy. Friend of mine said it to me when I was struggling. It was instantly disarming of my bad thoughts and still resonates with me now. I find it hard to say myself though as I never really had a male role model growing up."
alidaf
Happy Season 3 GIF by FriendsGiphyAll great suggestions so far. Empathy is easy...
Possibilities
"Anything that isn't a variation of 'think positive.' The illness makes it literally impossible. I liked to hear that I still meant something to the people in my life, despite me not being able to give."
raxeira-etterath
Sacha Baron Cohen Thumbs Up GIF by Amazon Prime VideoGiphyThe Moments
"It's the hugs that don't even need said. At my last job I was in a dark place at the time and slipping back into depression. My blow up at work went from work issues to issues in my life and I didn't realize how far I went and my sauté guy held me. It's the most human moment I've had and it broke me in a good way. Sometimes just having a moment of that same feeling of connection, physical or not, can be what saves and/or helps that person."
Bfab94
no obligation...
"I’m not the best person to come to with these problems so when people around me do have that I always tell them the same thing, 'Want to go fishing? I’m bringing a grill and some charcoal.'"
2Agunsarearight
"We all get taken off guard, especially if you didn’t notice any changes in their behavior before. Often just a simple invite to hang out (no obligation) can be enough to remind somebody they aren’t alone and have a friend."
JakeFromFarmState1
“I understand”
"Lots of conflicting stuff here, because I’m seeing many suggest 'I understand' - but to me I hated hearing that. I always felt like 'no you don’t. You may know what it’s like to be in your own version of hell, but not mine.' For me, I think I always preferred those who said 'I want to try to understand' or just a simple 'love you' or 'want to hang out and not talk to each other at all and watch scrubs?'"
Iamdogfather
Simple
"I might not understand what you're going through, but I'm here for you and I love you."
tarkinlarson
I Love You GIF by Taylor SwiftGiphyWays to be there. Chapter One....
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Curious to hear what some of those may be, Redditor bibesh07 asked:
"What’s some scary truth that humanity has to accept?"
What's going on?
Perhaps we shall never know the answer.
We're All Clueless
"Nobody actually knows what the f'k is going on."
– Nateisgreat74
"When I was a kid I was sure all adults know a lot and they are all proficient in their job. Now I'm 35 and I'm convinced only 0.1% knows just barely enough to understand things throughout in their field."
– daninet
Lack Of Authenticity
"That plenty of things are fake."
– IDontGetIt68
"Most things are faked or exaggerated in some way."
– nobleskies
The Artist's Quote
"The world won't end, it will just change its name." - David Byrne
–ashedmypanties
We're The Problem
"I love George Carlin's take. The earth isn't going anywhere, it's the people that are f'ked."
– SarcasticGamer
We are never guaranteed tomorrow.
Sitting Target
"You really aren’t as in control of your body as you’d like to think. A single disease, accident, etc could render you a prisoner inside your own body."
– Another_Road
Emotionally Disconnected
"I know this isn’t on the same level as some other responses, but I felt like I was living a pretty normal healthy life until one day when I was 22, I woke up with this feeling I was out of body and disconnected from reality."
"It was like living life behind a pane of glass, everything felt hollow and distant, and my emotional range felt muted. It was such a terrifying feeling, I spent thousands on finding the right 'treatment,' any answer to what I was experiencing. Turns out anxiety and depression are a b*tch and don’t discriminate on anyone."
"It’s changed my life ever since and albeit there are good days and bad days, it was the stroke of a single night that sent me down that hole of stress and worry. Nightmarish."
– Alliancee
Appreciate The Silence
"Tinnitus which is basically constant ringing and noises created by the brain has NO CURE, AND IS VERY EASY TO GET."
"Dont take your silence & peace for granted."
*edit*
"Thank you all for the upvotes, but seriously i want all of you to help bring a world wide awareness to this horrible condition. its our veterans number 1 disability in the military, millions of americans suffer from it silently, Covid is giving it to people in record breaking numbers, there is no cure Dont believe anyone who tells you otherwise."
"It usually progresses as you age, and if you got it like me and its constant you really are living day to day. your no longer living."
"I had this for a decade, and i got it when i was young from listening to loud music. And everyday the victims get younger and younger. People kill themselves over this its that bad, and it has nothing to do with their mental state. Severe tinnitus will drive anyone insane. Dont take your silence for granted and be kind to one another."
"Please help get tinnitus the spotlight it needs, so that we can get more research and treatments for it. because like i said its very easy to get. LETS CURE IT B4 ITS TOO LATE."
– L4EVUR
Unconcerned
"People genuinely don’t care what happens in the future."
– soline
"That's what causes procrastination. The human brain can't comprehend future consequences very well and only worries about dangers in the moment. Similarly the brain doesn't think it will/can die. (This is what I've been told. I think these apply to the subconscious/instinctual part of the brain. Not to the conscious-thought part)"
– Marksman18
We are not forever.
"When you die, one of three things will happen."
- "Someone will watch you die."
- "Someone will find your body."
- "No one will find your body."
– stonesthrowaway24601
The Big One
"Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. 10-30% chance a 9.0+ earthquake will hit the PNW in the next 50 years. The west coast is not prepared."
– EasyDay
Not Knowing When
"That at any moment you can be gone forever without even getting a chance to think about it."
– Zuesz-_-
Cruelty Of Mental Illness
"My dad was diagnosed with rapid onset dimentia/Alzheimers and begged me to take him out in the woods on the family property and just shoot him. He was literally terrified of becoming just another one of the 100 people in his nursing home that laid in a bed in a vegetative state for a decade. 'Thankfully' when Dad fully lost it he went quickly, a blessing I will always be thankful for."
– bluecheetos
People didn't have much hope for the treatment of our environment.
Prepare For A Rude Awakening
"That we are taking a lot of things that we consider 'natural' for granted. One day we are going to be waking up to a world without it."
– letmediepleasemom
Running Out Of Time
"I'm partially convinced that the big trend for HD nature documentaries within the past 10 years or so was a combination of 'we need to convince the public that nature is still going strong' and 'we are running out of time to capture this footage.'"
– ccaccus
Ominous Change
"Totally. I walk the forests now and seem to remember so much more birdsong there when I was a youth. Now things are... eerily quiet."
– loercase
The thought of not knowing when our time on earth is through is always on the back of my mind.
Sure, death is scary, but it's an inevitable fact.
And while I can live in fear of death coming to knock on my door at any time, I've chosen to accept death as something that gives life purpose.
That perspective–of one not being able to exist without the other–made me less fearful of the unknown.
Let's revel in the party before it's lights out, I say.
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