Learn how to get depression help online on a depression chat room for women and get 5 depression counselling tips to help a loved one experiencing depression.
Research has found that the isolation of social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic could trigger depression. One in 5 people will develop major depression in their lifetime, and pandemic lockdown measures could result in even more cases of depression.
Under stress from issues such as unemployment, the economy tanking and relationship issues, a growing number of people are facing stressors that intensify the likelihood of depression and other mental disorders.
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders today. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression and it is a leading cause of disability.
According to the National Mental Health Survey of India – 2016, there’s a high incidence of depression and suicide risk in females in the age group of 40 to 49 years residing in urban metros.
Can Depression Be Cured?
The symptoms of depression include low mood, fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep apnea, physical complaints, loss of interest in previous hobbies, loss of hope. Many of these symptoms can also be caused by nutritional deficiency or organic ailments that affect the brain.
So, before you label your loved one as suffering from depression, have them take a depression screening test for depression from a mental health counsellor or mental health psychologist qualified to do a mental health assessment. Never try to self-diagnose depression by doing an online depression test.
So can depression be cured? Yes, beating depression is possible with the proper depression counselling and mental health treatment from mental health doctors or a professional mental health therapist.
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5 Tips To Help Someone With Depression
If your loved one is experiencing depression, and you want to know how to help her in overcoming depression, this article is for you. Here are 5 depression counselling tips to help a loved one experiencing depression.
1. Encourage them to seek help
The first and foremost thing when you find out that your friend is depressed is to encourage her to seek help. It might be from her mom, dad, relatives, doctor, depression helpline, or a professional mental health consultant.
Once she is depressed, she might feel like there is no hope for anything and she has very little energy to get help.
- Be honest and help your friend admit that she is depressed.
- Offer to take her to a practitioner or mental health professional.
- Let her be aware of the seriousness of depression as a treatable ailment.
If she has already been treated but there is no improvement, ask her to see her doctor as soon as possible to evaluate the situation and change her medication.
The temptation that many people have is that they want to figure out how to overcome depression naturally or take ayurvedic treatment for depression.
While there’s nothing wrong with this, natural methods to cure depression can only complement proper treatment by a mental health professional.
2. Be there for them
It seems obvious that since your friend is depressed, you should be there for her. But how do you do this when she doesn’t initiate conversations or refuses to respond to phone calls or text messages?
Those who suffer from depression usually lack initiative, and they might end up isolating themselves and ruminating over their issues.
Offer to take her for a walk in a beautiful place, such as a park, or to a funny movie so that she can start to feel better.
3. Listen patiently
Try to listen rather than offer advice, and be as patient as you can rather than pushy. Initially, your friend might not listen to you and not take your opinion into consideration, or she might think she is able to conquer her issues by herself.
Try not to dismiss her hopelessness, which is one of the effects of depression. Instead, you can explain to her that these feelings are temporary and can be treated.
4. Provide support
A friend in need is a friend indeed. You can support your friend with some concrete tasks that she doesn’t seem to complete by herself. Helping with her daily tasks might strengthen your friendship and help mitigate her problems.
You could bring her favourite food or play her favourite games with her or simply offer to help her with housework such as laundry or cooking.
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5. Get depression help online
There’s only so much that you or your friend’s depression self-help measures can do. If your friend mentions self-harm, death or even worse, suicide, you should directly ask her whether she feels suicidal.
Whether she does or not, remind her about how important she is and how much people care about her, and that she requires immediate professional help. If necessary help her get depression help online through a depression helpline or mental health professional.
When learning how to overcome depression, some holistic healing practices such as mindfulness and emotional freedom technique (EFT) or tapping can provide relief from the signs and symptoms of depression.
Never let the burden of having an anxious and depressed friend be only yours. Ensure that you inform somebody else (her parent or her partner or her doctor) about the problems that you are facing.
Depression is a mental disorder that anyone can face these days regardless of age, gender, and income level. However the risk for women, previously married, unemployed, or those who are unable to work seems to be higher.
There are limits to what a friend can do and how involved one can be. Supporting a friend with serious depression all the way to a cure can mean the difference between life and death.
Looking for a depression helpline or depression chat room for depression help online for yourself or your friend? Connect on the free online counselling chat helpline for depression counselling, relationships, careers, health issues and more.
Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is presented for the purpose of educating people. Nothing contained on this website should be construed nor is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider. Should you have any healthcare-related questions, please call or see your physician or other qualified health care provider promptly. Always consult with your physician or other qualified health care provider before embarking on a new treatment, diet, or fitness program.
Author Bio:
Priya Florence Shah is the Group Editor at SHEROES and author of Devi2Diva, an emotional self-care book for women.
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