having had depressions on and off myself for the past 15 years, I know that showing *support* is pretty much the biggest help for depressed people.
seriously, you don't need to be a professional to understand basic human needs and the reactions to lack of them. we are all humans after all!
try to get them to open up and be personal, that way they know you're taking the seriously and that you care. try to follow their train-of-thought and give advice accordingly (many people don't even want any advice but to be heard and understood)
don't try to find their "symptoms" or "diagnosis", don't mention medication or professional help as these things makes the situation WORSE for several reasons, among them are:
1- in most cases "new symptoms" appear just because the possibility of some "diagnosis" is introduced
2- they're generic and non-personal, which in a depressed person's mind translates to "not caring much"
3- very few depressions are biological. most of them are environmental and require small changes which are natural.
Would you help a depressed friend?
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having had depressions on and off myself for the past 15 years, I know that showing *support* is pretty much the biggest help for depressed people.
seriously, you don't need to be a professional to understand basic human needs and the reactions to lack of them. we are all humans after all!
try to get them to open up and be personal, that way they know you're taking the seriously and that you care. try to follow their train-of-thought and give advice accordingly (many people don't even want any advice but to be heard and understood)
don't try to find their "symptoms" or "diagnosis", don't mention medication or professional help as these things makes the situation WORSE for several reasons, among them are:
1- in most cases "new symptoms" appear just because the possibility of some "diagnosis" is introduced
2- they're generic and non-personal, which in a depressed person's mind translates to "not caring much"
3- very few depressions are biological. most of them are environmental and require small changes which are natural.