Depression is a severe mental issue that most people go through silently. You cannot truly understand what a person is going through unless you through it yourself. However, you must know how to calm down a depressed person. Many people around you are fighting their own battle with depression. Hence, you should never overstep your boundaries to make them uncomfortable.
A depressed person has some trigger points, and you may say something wrong to trigger them. As a human, it is our responsibility to take care of each other. You must always try to be socially responsible and act as a catalyst to help people cope with depression. There are a few ways you can help a depressed person, and you must learn about them.
Ways to help a depressed person
You may not deal with depressed people on a day to day basis. However, it is crucial to educate yourself about depression if you find yourself in tricky situations. Here are a few ways you can help a depressed person without triggering them:
1. Don’t overstep boundaries.
People with depression do not usually come out and say they are depressed. If you are noticing your friend acting a certain way, you need to be cautious around them. If your friend or colleague looks visibly depressed, do not go and ask them about it directly. A person dealing with depression does not dare to talk out their issues openly. If you force information out of them, they can get triggered.
You should adopt a systematic approach to get the person to talk. It is always best to start talking about a lighter topic and then move to the real deal. You should be patient and let the person open up at their own pace.
2. Just listen
Every person with depression goes through different emotions. The coping mechanism of each person is different from another. However, one thing that helps every person going through tough times is venting out. If anyone around you is depressed, you should not ask them to let it out directly. It is best if you wait for them to come up to you and talk.
If your friend or any depressed person is talking to you, make sure you listen to them without interjecting. You should listen to them and make notes on what is the number one cause of depression. A depressed person feels comforted when they have a friend or any person listen to them. You should give them the silent support they need and listen without judgment.
3. Avoid blaming
Let’s say if your friend is depressed and they come up and talk to you. They may have done something wrong. You must listen to a depressed person with interest and show them you care. You must keep all the judgments aside and lend them a listening ear. If you feel they have done something wrong, you should avoid blaming them.
It is essential to help the person first before blaming them. When you feel your friend with depression is at a much better place, then confront them. You should try to keep constructive criticism to a minimum and be mindful when talking to a depressed person.
4. Show them care
As a helping hand, you must always be aware of what increases the risk of depression. Intense confrontation and forcing a person to speak can trigger their depression. You must always start by earning the trust of a depressed person. A person dealing with depression is in a very vulnerable position. You must begin by showing them care and make them comfortable enough to start opening up.
You can show care by making small gestures, such as taking them for a stroll. You can also ask them to go to the movies with you. These small gestures will give them validation and show them that somebody cares.
5. Participate in their lives
There are a lot of depressed people who do not want help. So, how do you help someone who doesn’t want to be helped? You should never directly tell a depressed person they need help. However, you should subtly talk to them and wait until they are ready. You ask them to incorporate a few changes in their lives but suggestively.
You ask them to sleep on time by saying, let’s try sleeping early for a week together. You can ask your struggling friend to participate in a fitness challenge along with you. When you ask them to do things suggestively, they will probably do it.
6. Ask them to adopt a few remedies.
You can ask your friends to intake natural antidepressants such as kratom and lavender tea.
● Kratom
Kratom is a natural antidepressant that works gradually to balance out a person’s emotions. See more to know how long kratom stays in the system. You should start with Green Dragon Kratom powder from kratom krush as it has a mild taste. You should take small doses so that your body gets used to it.
● Lavender tea
Lavender is known for its magical properties and soothing aroma. You can suggest this tea to anyone who is depressed to soothe their nerves. Lavender tea does not have any adverse effects on a person’s health.
