How will you help someone who you come to know is heaving really tough time dealing with whatever issues and that can lead to anything like solitude, frustration, isolation, depression or even suicidal thoughts which is very extreme. And that someone can be your friend, coworker, acquaintance, family or neighbor or whoever.
What will you suggest others to do in similar situation?
Restored attachments:
Try to make that person less stressful.
just be there for them if you could, let them know someone cares, sometimes that is all you can do…
Hmm. no I think it needs far more than that. Remember the person is sorrounded by many people but those are only physical bodies. It needs a massive effort to turn him/her around
Make them feel like they matter to you.
If they need serious help, contact the help hotline.
Dealing with internal demons is never an easy task. Unless one is really close to that person e.g siblings, spouse - there’s not a whole lot one can offer. The strength to face your internal struggles has to come from within yourself before others in the wider social circle can be of much help. There’s really no cut & dry remedial strategy for it.
One possible way to help them is to try to engage them in problem solving activities. Give them some small challenges to tackle on an on-going basis. It may sound counter intuitive that a person who is already struggling with depression, we’re overloading them with additional stress but the reasoning behind it is that the person is sulking over and being held back by a problem that he/she hasn’t been able to overcome for a long time. By shifting their energies and focus away from that failure and getting them engaged in an activity where they’re able to provide a constructive outcome may help break them out of their sulking shell. It could be something as mundane as hey am thinking about rearranging the furniture in the house, what do you suggest. Challenge them on their input so they get more engaged and then accept their suggestions so they feel they’ve made a positive impact on their surrounding.
A long and slow process that will require continuous support from people closest to the person and it may still not heal the person fully.
Just listen!!
Dont give advice just listen and keep listening
i just keep saying yes you are right I understand and listen all the frustration and depression and also listen to them no matter how busy you are just give your time and ear to listen their talk!
Listening is definitely a great first response but the caveat is what if the person doesnt open up, which btw is most often occurrence under such conditions. How to make them speak?
To elaborate further on this; the state of mind that SID_NY described is often reinforced by the sense of powerlessness, the lack of control. These people feel helpless and that only intensifies the frustration and depression. Thus, by improving their problem solving ability, they will learn that they are not powerless and that they can solve a lot of their issues, which in return will boost their confidence and they will come out of that black hole they are stuck in.
@SID_NY That’s why I had said earlier that only those few select ones who are already part of the person’s life on an up close, personal basis can be a helping hand. But if you’re saying that person isn’t even willing to open up to their siblings, spouse etc. well that’s really a toughie!
