The answers are not always so easy and clear to be a simplistic
...running away from the pain or responsibilities etc.... Its often
very complex and very difficult to articulate the whys. I have
several friends who have contemplated it and even tried it. I know
of people who did it and succeeded and I have personally witness 1
where she died. Its pure heartache on both sides!!
Depression is not something to be treated lightly. It is something
that needs serious attention and the people who suffers from them
need not be shy or ashame because they have it. As a matter of
fact, I find that the people who battles depression, many of them
are far stronger people inside than many others. They have the
courage to fight it daily even every hour. They suffer only because
they had the misfortune that they were dealt blows after blows
which caused them to become overwelmed!
All you who have friends who are depressed, please do the
following, give them time to talk to vent all that they have
inside. They need a release, to talk and get it out. Please do not
judge them or try to change their way of thinking unless you know
what you are doing and are trained and if you are trained, you will
know that you need to just let them talk. just talk.
Please do not say things like
- there are people in worse state/condition/suffering than
what you are going through"
- Its only a relationship/its only a girl/boy
etc
- pull yourself together/be strong
- do some charity work and work with the less fortunate
that way you will see how much more other people suffer than
you...
The above are just some of the things that we should not say...
they are totally not helpful whatsoever!!! There
are many reasons why this is so and I dont want to spend time
explaining them here as yet. But what you can do is to just give
your time and attention and often thats all they need to get on the
road to being themselves again. If the person remains depressed,
then he/she will need to get some help.
Like I said before, I have discovered that many people who had
suffered from depression are actually people who are much stronger
than others think they are.
If you are depressed, please do not think that you are any less of
a person than the next guy. Honestly, it is my experience and
believe that anyone who had to go through what you had gone through
would most likely be a similar state of suffering as you are.
franzx
