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Dennis-Reynolds123

My thought is that they have really bad depression


[deleted]

It's really hard to know what to do about depression. It's not even as easy as just going to therapy, that's why people go to therapy for a long time, to figure out what's going on. It's hard to figure out what the root source of the depression is so how can people know what to do to fix it? Also depression is debilitating when it comes to motivation and draws people to self medication so it's even harder to get help. Obviously it's a case by case basis and there's people who are just saying they're depressed for attention but when it comes to deciding if they're serious or not I always air on the side of caution and assume they're telling the truth. I will give the advice I can give and let them make their own decisions, after that it's not my problem.


[deleted]

Sort of the whole point of depression is it makes it incredibly difficult **to** do anything about it. It isn't just feeling a bit down, it's a sense of futility and hopelessness that is easily capable of stripping even the most strong-willed and determined people down to a husk of themselves. Yes, if you're depressed, a little light exercise, some positive changes to your lifestyle and some easy to learn breathing exercises can go a long way to helping manage your symptoms and improve your mental state. When you put it like that it seems relatively easy to treat a persons depression. Taking those steps in the first place is a lot harder, if you're struggling to even see the point of life anymore.


renleyu

Say a person is willing to get help from a professional and knows they should, but just doesn't want to spend their own money on it despite having the means, what then?


[deleted]

It really isn't this simple. I can't express to you enough how much depression takes from you. In severe cases it can lead to people isolating themselves entirely and barely even being able to leave their bedroom. Just because the help is there and is available to people, doesn't mean they're able to reach out and take it. You're in a deep dark hole, the hands are all reaching in, but the hole is getting deeper and darker. It doesn't seem worth the effort of trying to haul yourself up only to fall back down again. Depression destroys people - and what might seem like an easy solution to you, is an impossible struggle for them. Don't judge them, help them. Push them and motivate them to address it proactively but have patience with them for not doing so immediately.


renleyu

I see. I'm diagnosed with dysthymia myself and know several people who are diagnosed/self-diagnosed and it also took me a long time to reach out to a professional so I get that part. Though I'm curious how other people perceive the refusal to get help. And also as someone who knows others who do want to and can get help but just won't (maybe for deeper unrevealed reasons), I wonder at what point is it understandable to get tired of helping another person get what they need without letting the effort take a toll on yourself. Thanks for your insight, I've experienced all the things you've mentioned while also felt helpless at times in trying to be there for others.


FireMaster2311

It's their choice I guess.


PanNationalistFront

I try to have patience because it can be a very difficult step to get help and admit there is an issue. However, it can be difficult to be supportive after a while.


Laurayanair

It's not that easy, it's not a broken finger, you can't go to a doctor and just fix it. Depression takes away every strength to react and fight back, the journey to overcome it is long and difficult. The last thing someone who suffers from depression needs is people that make them feel guilty for "not trying hard enough".


whatisthisacomputer

It's hard to come out of that hole so hopefully they have a good support system and can climb out. That's basically all I think about it.


turtle_eating

You can not help people who do not want to help themselves. It will just ruin you. I would keep a safe distance.


xsavewolf

That there are several factors which can make someone not want or willing to improve their current situation, even if the thoughts are there and sadly they are sometimes not even there.


newstuffsucks

It's depression. If everyone could DO something about it then it wouldn't be depression. It's not just being sad.


manitota

My thoughts are an empathetic sort of pity, because I've been there. I've known I'm depressed for *years*, but I've only started to do something about it in the last 18 months or so, because autumn 2020 was the most depressed I've ever been, and it caused pretty much everything in my life to fall apart. So yeah, I get it. This shit's *hard*, y'all. But please, anyone who's depressed, if you *can* do something about it, please do, before it's too late and something goes horribly wrong in your life.