When a relative or friend is depressed, we are often confused and try to talk to them to help them feel better mentally. Let’s learn how to talk to depressed people through the article below!

People with depression always fall into a state of deep suffering , despair, pessimism and lose interest in life.

Therefore, the most important thing when talking to a patient is to show comfort , listen and sympathize. Depressed people are very sensitive to the eyes around them, so you need to find a private space where the patient can open up.

Attentive listening will create a comfortable space that gives the patient the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings. From there, you can express sympathy through eyes or touch to help the patient stabilize their mind and find comfort.

We need to show listening and empathy when talking to depressed people

People with depression always feel like the whole world is against them, they will start to withdraw into themselves, so a comforting hug or warm caring words are enough to soothe a hurt heart . You don’t need to express your love with beautiful words, just expressing your inner sincerity is enough.

Just warm caring words are enough to help depressed people soothe their hearts

You should avoid mentioning the depressed person’s illness when talking. They always look down on themselves and feel like they don’t deserve anything. Therefore, mentioning their illness will make them think they are a burden to the family .

Especially for people who do not accept that they have depression, asking about their illness may evoke their pain. In some cases, patients easily become agitated and exhibit aggressive behavior.

People with depression cannot control their emotions, they are often miserable and overly pessimistic. Therefore, when talking to them you should show empathy instead of denying and disregarding their feelings. Denial will make you feel unloved and make your condition worse.

You should not underestimate or deny the feelings of a depressed person

People with depression often tend to live separately from people. Therefore, you need to show interest by saying things like “ Can I help you?” ” instead of asking “Are you okay?” – These questions will make the patient’s psychology more agitated.

In addition, you can express your care through small actions such as assisting them with daily tasks or making their favorite dishes . When receiving everyone’s love and care, the patient will regain the meaning of life and be more motivated during the treatment process.

People with depression always have a negative view of everything around them and lose faith in life. So when talking to them, you should spread your positive energy . By telling them about interesting things in life so that they can see that joy , optimism and cheerfulness always exist .

In particular, when talking, you should avoid gossiping or boasting about your own achievements. Instead, you should choose small but meaningful stories to convey positive energy. This will help promote motivation to live and efforts to overcome depression.

Spreading your positive energy helps patients have more motivation to live

During a conversation with a depressed person, you should give encouraging statements to help lift their spirits such as “You did very well”, “You tried so hard!”, “You should know.” with me and my loved ones by my side.” Receiving words of encouragement helps motivate patients during treatment.

When encouraging someone with depression, you should only say short and easy-to-understand sentences so that the patient can fully understand the meaning. Because depressed patients are also inhibited in thinking, they think slowly and have difficulty making decisions.

Give short, easy-to-understand encouragement sentences to motivate the patient

Let the patient know you care about them, even with just a word or small gestures like a hug or holding hands. This means a lot to people who feel like the world is against them.[ 1 ]

Just a comforting hug or hand holding can help the patient feel cared for

People with depression always think that they are useless and a burden to their family. So, use words that show their importance, they are an indispensable part of the family and everyone around them.

Show the patient how important they are through your words

One of the reasons why many people suffer from depression is because they feel lonely, having no one to share with or relieve stress and frustration. It is these things that accumulate over time that make them sad and depressed.

So, when comforting someone with depression, let them know that they are not alone. For example, you can say “Don’t worry, I’m always right next to you” and you are always ready to listen and help them .

“Do you want to go for a walk with me tomorrow?” “ Tomorrow ” is like giving them more hope for the good things they themselves want in the future. Hope is the thread that keeps a person staying longer in a life they do not consider worthwhile because we always hope tomorrow will be better.

However, you should not use unspecified time periods with depressed people such as: “When”, “What day”. Makes them feel as hopeless as their current life, not knowing what will happen, not knowing when they will recover, and a distant hope. This will make them feel worse , so clearly defining the time will easily build your trust in the patient.

Using future-oriented statements gives the patient more hope about what he or she wants

Depressed people often have to bear both mental and material burdens and always live in isolation. You should suggest that the patient share their thoughts and feelings to help them feel more stable .

You need to offer to listen to their thoughts and let them know: “The important thing is that I just want to help because I really care about you. And if I fall into such a situation, you will help me the same way” you really just want to help them reduce their mental burden.

Depression is a mental health condition that can affect anyone. People who are facing depression always think they are weak , useless and it’s all their fault . So let your loved ones know that this is not their fault and that they have been strong and resilient in their struggle with depression.

Let the patient know how resilient and strong they are

Many patients with depression do not receive treatment because they cannot accept that they have the disease. Once you have built trust with the patient, you should encourage them to see experts and doctors.

You can give advice like “I think professional/doctor help will help you overcome your current difficulties” or “I went through similar things but things were better with help. specialist/physician support.”

These statements not only encourage patients to proactively see experts and doctors, but also show them that this is completely normal .

You should encourage patients to seek help from experts and doctors for better support

Giving advice is taboo when talking to a depressed person. You should not give advice like “I think you should go to the hospital for examination and treatment soon.”, “I think you should try harder”,… These statements will make the patient sensitive and judge them . Low price myself . Instead, you should say encouraging words to boost the patient’s spirit.

Giving advice is taboo when talking to a depressed person

People with depression always encounter many difficulties in life and must have support from those around them. Therefore, you should not make statements comparing them to others.

These statements unintentionally make the patient feel hurt , have low self-esteem and lose all motivation during the treatment process.

Comparing sick people to others will make them feel inferior and weak

People with depression sometimes have false thoughts that they are the ones causing everything and torment and blame themselves. Instead of trying to argue, you should calm the patient’s mind and encourage the patient to seek help from experts and doctors.

In addition, some people with depression fall into a paranoid state with mythical and false content. Trying to argue will cause extreme reactions , anger and irritation. The best way is to listen and encourage them to seek help from a doctor.

Instead of arguing, you should reassure the patient and listen to them

Some people think that depression is not something serious but just a patient’s pessimistic and depressed emotions. This causes them to have to face hurtful statements that say the patient is too negative.

Depressed people often cannot control their emotions

The suicide rate in people with depression is very high. Therefore, you need to pay attention and detect early signs of depressed people intending to commit suicide to promptly prevent and help them: 

• Mood changes erratically.
• Feeling sad and losing hope.
• Write a will or give away your assets.
• Express yourself as a burden to others.
• Self-absorbed and disconnected from family and friends.
• Say goodbye to people as if you’ll never see them again.
• Pay attention to what depressed people say, such as talking about ending their lives.

The above article suggests ways to talk to depressed people to help them improve their condition. Paying attention and talking will help their mood become more and more stable. If you find the above article useful, please share it with everyone!