To everyone out there posting articles that say, 'Please reach out if you're going through a hard time', I appreciate the efforts and admire your kind intentions but here's the harsh truth. Nobody going through a hard time will want to willingly reach out and ask for help. Even if they want to, sometimes they just don't know how to. You've got to understand how difficult it is to sit across from someone and admit that you're not doing well, that you need help. Hell, sometimes it's even hard to admit it to yourself that after all, you might not be doing as well as you want everyone to think.
You might have the best of intentions to help someone but the majority of the people going through difficult times will not actively seek for help. Ridiculing someone for turning to self harm or having suicidal tendencies is ignorance at it's peak. If you pass statements like,' Suicide is so stupid, why would someone choose to end their own life? There's always a solution for all problems', I suggest you think again because when someone is very seriously ill, it might seem like the only option to them. I don't encourage self harm, only request that we take more efforts to understand what's going on in the mind of someone willing to entertain such negative thoughts.
Depression is more than a tag. It's not the same as sadness. It's an illness. If you cannot comprehend the severity of the illness, think of it as something similar to bulimia. The person dealing with the illness is aware that something isn't right but that doesn't stop them from further immersing themselves into it.
Seeking help is not easy. Depression is a downward spiral. It's extremely difficult muster up the courage to want to willingly get better especially when your hopelessness creates an inability to create or even imagine a better future for yourself.
So if you truly want to help someone battling depression, don't pity them. They need a friend, not someone to feel sorry for them. When you're actively trying to pull someone out of a dark place, change their surroundings. Monotony can further fuel dark thoughts. Let them experience the width of life and convince them to seek professional help simultaneously. Don't push them to be someone they cannot be. No one is a failure because there's no such thing as objective success. Recovering from a severe mental illness such as depression is also success.
Reassurance, that you'll be there for them because you care about the person, as well as validation that they're not a lost cause and a show of faith that you believe in them can really work wonders.
It's truly sad that it takes an unfortunate event to create awareness about such a common and dangerous illness. But now that people realize how crucial it is to address this issue, we should actively start taking steps to check up on our loved ones and other people we surround ourselves with.
I apologize if any of this content is triggering or inaccurate, I speak from experience that might not hold true for everyone. I hope this makes some difference to someone out there.
@SiyaaModii
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