Avoid Saying These Things to Someone Suffering From Depression

Here’s a list of things you should not say to a person with mental condition at any point

1. Cheer up, buckle up, or snap out of it

The worst thing you can say to someone with depression is asking them to cheer up. Knowing that a person is struggling with mood swings and depression and asking them to laugh, smile, or cheer up is called ‘toxic positivity’ and this is going to cause more harm to the struggling individual.

2. It is all in your head

Another one, probably one of the most insensitive comments of all, is telling someone with depression that it is all in their head. This is especially true in cases where people’s depression manifests physically and leads to problems like migraines, body pains, upset stomach, or lack of appetite. Telling someone that their physical struggle is not real and just in the head is inconsiderate and thoughtless.

3. I have faced worse things

Imagine someone with depression trying to tell you how they are feeling, and you say that you have seen worse and have emerged from it successfully. There could be nothing more shaming to the person. It might make them doubt what they are undergoing, make them feel weak, and cause them to clam up and distrust others. You could have had a different life. Comparing yours with someone who has a mental health condition is unfair.

4. You must not have done that/ this is a result of your past mistakes

Depression does not happen only because of someone’s past life choices and mistakes. It is a combination of genetics, lifestyle, childhood, and present conditions. Some people may have no control over their depressed state, and hence, it is unfair to point fingers and say that the condition was because of what they did in the past. This is going to add more stress and shame to an already struggling soul.

5. You should think about your family and get out of this

This is something you should never say to a depressed person - ‘think about your family and don’t feel depressed’. For most people, depression stems from worries about their family and other personal issues. So, it doesn’t make sense to ask them to feel alright for the sake of their family. It can also add a lot of guilt by indirectly telling them that their family is struggling because of their depression.

6. What do you have to be depressed about?

It is normal for friends and family to get impatient about someone’s mental health state, especially if the condition has been prevalent for a long time. However, trying to tell someone that they are lucky to have things in life and they have nothing to feel depressed about is unkind. Someone may have all the riches in the world, may have a great job, or a loving family, and still end up with depression. You should try not to analyse the condition.

7. Take a vacation

This is very common advice that people struggling with mood swings, anxiety, low energy, and general mental and physical fatigue, get. Taking a vacation may work for those who are tired because of life’s monotony or face work burnouts. A change of place helps refresh the mind for sure. However, people with depression have a genuine mental health condition and this is not magically going to get alright when you take few days of break. In some cases, such a change of place can even make the symptoms worse. People with depression might need behavioural therapy, medications, and professional help to make their condition better.