So it is a family we knew, but they moved away. Found out today that their son went to be with God. He had just turned 18 and was overweight, but otherwise in good health.
It is all guess work on our part.
I’ve dealt with depression. I could have helped. At 18 just having anyone outside the family show an interest in you means the world.
They were good people. This sucks. Thanks for listening.
same, I’m not sure what’s going on and I’m sad to hear
I’ve had a new friend who is depressed lately, so I did some research on what is recommended to help
things like saying you care about them, being available to listen to them, encouraging them towards hope, came up. I made a list that I could pull up if we’d like to make a post about it. I think wiggle had a post about what people do when they’re depressed.
prayer is important for people. acts of hope. St. Jude the patron of hopeless cases. perhaps spiritual reading of God helping the seemingly hopeless. The story of Job who endured trials and then was rewarded. Or Jesus who seemed to simply die in this life, but was resurrected.
This is a serious topic worth discussing further if you have more ideas or things you’d like to discuss on it.
Depression does not own me like it used to. Now I have normal human depression.
What keeps that in check is praying all 4 decades of the Rosary each day. I don’t really pray them well, i make it a point to do them. It keeps that bad stuff under control.
Honestly just being with someone who is depressed is the best option. Talking with them can be tricky because most (me included) just want to justify why they are depressed instead of getting out of it.
Being with them, even if you don’t say much is helpful without being enabling.
If they want to go on about their problems, listen. You can respond with, “I understand it feels that way.”
If they ask for solutions, give them small bite sized things to do, and when you are hit with the inevitable excuses of how none of that will work, just go back to, “I understand it feels that way.”