Helen Keller, blind and deaf since a toddler, wrote, “Although the world is full of suffering it is also full of the overcoming of it…Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain.”
Often when I am in a group of women, someone is depressed (or knows someone who is) and very often what brings a smile isn’t some flowery platitude…it’s simply another woman speaking out loud these two powerful words.
Me too.
Suddenly, that island of despair and loneliness morphs into a continent of cure…and hope is birthed again.
I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count and still, it amazes me how honesty sparks hope and then healing in another person.
Let me share what counselor and author, Ed Welch, has to say on this topic of depression.
Much has been written on the topic of depression, some worthy of the press received, others not. Sadly, many of the newsworthy articles on this issue pose more questions than they answer. Seems everyone has an expert opinion on the whys and reasons for suffering from this debilitating problem. While not everyone would agree on why a person gets depressed, or even how much of the experience is physically versus emotionally driven, one aspect of this condition is pretty clear. The one who is depressed isnāt the same person he/she once wasā¦and while recognizing this fact, the depressed individual frequently pushes away those closest to them during those times when their need for support is greatest. This paradox alone can be frustrating to loved ones and friends of the depressed person for a variety of reasons.
The now depressed man or woman doesnāt exhibit enthusiasm about anything, what once drove and inspired now lays dormant and discarded. There used to be a āgive and takeā to the relationship that is now overwhelmingly one-sided. Dr. Welchās observation that, āā¦we all shift back and forth between our roles as physician and patient,ā is especially telling as caring people continue to give without getting anything in return. It is the tenacious soul who preserves despite repeated perceptions of rejection by their depressed friend.
For those who seek to support and encourage a depressed loved one, Dr. Welch cautions these helpers that they will experience resistance and it will be hard at times to continue pursuing a loving relationship. āSometimes you will grow weary in loving. We all do. You will genuinely love, but it will seem fruitless or irrelevant. It wonāt seem to matter to the depressed person. But know this: your love makes a difference. That doesnāt mean one concerted push to love will snap anyone out of depression.
By itself, your love will not change anyone.ā For the depressed, time can stand still, for those observing their emotionally distraught friend, time doesnāt pass quickly enough. They reason that time in abundance has already been spent in this āphaseā and they become impatient for life to get back to normal. While no one can predict how long a depressive season will endure, Dr. Welch recommends the following suggestions to gently promote healthy life patterns.
Ā· Encourage daily structure that includes regular times for eating/exercising/sleeping.
Ā· Set up a simple schedule to accomplishing one new specific task each day.
Ā· Offer accountability, check in daily with the depressed person.
Ā· Learn to discern the appropriate moments to interrupt faulty speech or thinking patterns and speak the truth.
Ā· Reassure your suffering friend that you are in it for the duration.
Ā In close, Welch encourages continued efforts by saying, āā¦depressed people, like all of us, are aware of kindness and love that is willing to sacrifice. Love always leaves its mark.ā
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I have a friend who is my ultimate example in the “giving thanks” department since she consistently expresses a grateful, thankful heart no matter what she is experiencing.
