How to care for your depressed friend
Depression doesn’t feel like any other illnesses. It’s mental war where Christians either feel like they’re spiralling downwards, or hate themselves for feeling that way.
But as a friend or family member who may be unsure if your loved one is depressed or worried to leave them alone, what do you do?
- Be there. Your loved one doesn’t need solutions, advice or motivation, but they do need someone to sit with and be there when they cry. They need someone to try to understand what they’re going through and you could ask them “how are you doing today?” Don’t be afraid to send a text, check in often or pray for them if they want.
- Care for their physical needs. Depression isn’t just psychological, but physiological as well. Get your loved one out of the house for a walk, or invite them to join you in something you’d be doing anyway, or maybe just turn up and surprise them with dinner or flowers!
- Be Patient. Social interactions and small talk might make them want to pull their hair out, but they need to know that they’re loved. There’s probably voice in their head telling them that they need to do or be more of something, so be the one to remind them that even in doing nothing, you still care for them and (most importantly) Jesus still loves them!
Loving a depressed person can be tiring and there’s no quick fix to it, but we can be an extension of grace and love to our loved ones. When they’re crying “God where are you?”, we can be the ones to bring God’s love to them through our words and actions, and remind them that God is always there with them!
Article by @cruinstagram
For immediate assistance, call the National Care Hotline (1800-202-6868), Institute of Mental Health Hotline (6389-2222) or Samaritans of Singapore (1800-221-4444)
To connect with a Christian peer support community, visit www.psaltcare.com
To help you connect with appropriate mental health resources, visit www.mentalconnect.org