⬆️ What NOT to say to someone with depression (& what to say instead) ⬆️
What is Depression? 🌧️
Depression is a persistent deep sadness that affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and physical health. If you feel depressed, you may begin to feel numb to any emotion. Depression can interfere with your ability to study, eat, sleep, and have fun. You may also feel helpless, hopeless, and worthless.
People with depression tend to experience the following:
Physical: changes in appearance/hygiene, changes in sleep patterns, change in appetite, low energy, stomach or headaches, difficulty concentrating
Emotional: sad all the time, frustrated, irritable, anger outbursts, anxious, easily upset, hopeless, helpless, worthless, despair
Thoughts: loss of interest in hobbies, “nothing matters”, “I’m always misunderstood”, low self-esteem, self-blame or criticism, thoughts of harming yourself or others
Behaviors: unusual reactions to little things, changes in mood/personality, pulling away from people/isolating yourself, a decline in school performance, extremely sensitive to failure, rejection, or criticism
If you or someone you know is experiencing depression, reach out to a friend, trusted adult, or counselor for support.
If you are concerned someone's depression may be life-threatening, call an outside resource for help or reach out to someone who can help them immediately.
What is Seasonal Depression? ❄️
Also referred to as seasonal affective disorder, SAD happens most commonly during fall and winter, when exposure to sunlight is limited. Lack of sunlight can disrupt a body's ability to regulate sleep and our hormone levels (important chemicals that do things like make us sleepy/regulate our moods). And with all that lack of sleep and mood regulation, we can easily find ourselves feeling depressed, grumpier, and less motivated.
If you notice that your brain starts to struggle at specific times of year, here are some things you can do:
talk to a counselor or another mental health professional
take time to get more sun or sit with a light therapy lamp for 30-min each morning
eat healthy foods that will give you energy (and try to limit sugars and caffeine that only give you a short boost)
walk outside and spend time in nature during the day
take vitamins like B12 and Omega-3 to give your body back some of what it's missing
take steps to lower your stress levels to give yourself a higher chance for sleep
exercise to increase your energy and give your brain a happiness boost (and also to help you be a little more tired by the time it becomes bedtime)
Taking Action- What can I do? ☔
💖 Supporting yourself:
reach out for help- talk to a counselor or trusted adult
get plenty of sunlight
get enough sleep
get plenty of exercise
do the things you love or that make things feel less heavy
cultivate relationships and spend time with loved ones
set a routine
set goals for the future to work towards
challenge negative thoughts- "I am enough. I am smart. I deserve to be treated well and loved."
try something new
decorate your space to have things and people you love visible
take care of something (pets, plants, etc) or spend time helping others
remember: you're not alone
💕 Supporting someone experiencing depression:
take time to listen to them
stay in touch with them & check-in
be patient with them
help them find support
take care of yourself and remember your own boundaries
do not minimize or compare their experiences to your own
invite them to spend time with you
show them and tell them you care about them
offer to help them do hard things by doing it with them
Know the warning signs of suicide risk click here to learn more
More about Depression
Get Help 🆘
Talk to a Counselor
Let an adult know you're struggling