"What to Tell Your Depressed Friend"

This list comes from Dr. Hendrie Weisinger on what to do or not do for a friend who needs someone to talk to about their depressed state.  He begins the article by talking about a situation in which he needed to give up doing something that he wanted to do in order to help his friend out.  As he puts it: "Help your friends when they are depressed, my friend!"

Here is his list of what not to do:

1. Don't try to be strong for your friend by telling him to "pull himself up by the bootstraps and be tough." Watch what you say despite your good intentions, because you will tend to say the wrong thing many times and be discouraging.
2. Don't get so involved and frustrated by your friend's seeming lack of optimism and confidence that you wind up arguing with your friend -- especially about what he should and should not do.
3. Do not join your depressed friend in his depression -- remember that depression is contagious and that your friend's feelings are not your feelings.

Here is his list of what to do:

1. Maintain warm, caring relationship free from hostility and tension.
2. Learn to cope with the hardships that relating frequently with a depressed person can impose such as the tendency to be lured into destructive criticism and arguments about your friend's passivity.
3. Learn what depression is -- a clinical disorder that is not something someone turns "on" or "off" and may be triggered by an event but becomes a brain chemistry disorder separate from that event.

 Article

Depression Cartoon

This cartoon illustrates different viewpoints on life; the scene above is reality, while the scene below depicts how life appears when one is depressed.  Cartoon done by my friend Christine.

I apologize for the poor scan.

Mental Health Month

The month of May has been designated as Mental Health Month for the past 52 years.  Every year Mental Health America comes out with campaigns during the month of May to promote the wellbeing of people living with mental health conditions.  The focus this year is on youth and social connectedness in order to help with depression.  Two new slogans were also introduced: "Do More for 1 in 4" and "Live Well! It's Essential for Your Potential"

Here's what Mental Health America has to say about their slogans:

"Do More for 1 in 4 is a call to action to help the 1 in 4 American adults who live with a diagnosable, treatable mental health condition and the fact that they can go on to live full and productive lives."

"Live Well! It's Essential for Your Potential, focuses on the importance of mental wellness and the steps everyone can take to improve their well-being and resiliency in the face of difficult times and challenges. Mental Health America's Live Your Life Well program offers ten science-based tools to manage stress and help you relax, grow and flourish."

Mental Health Month 2011

Live Your Life Well Program