Have you ever wondered about the life experiences of the person next to you? What are they feeling emotionally, mentally, or physically? How are they dealing with the problems in their life? Sometimes we forget that every single one of us are going through, or have gone through, experiences in our lives that have left an immense impact on our lives, negative or positive. In a digital world where people have the ability to create an image of a life that may not be true, there are people that use this as a means to reach out for help. Recently I was distracting myself with Facebook when I should have been working on my final papers. As I was procrastinating I came across a Facebook post that really caught my attention but not in a good way. A friend of mine made a post that questioned his existence and his importance to the people around him. I won't say the person nor will I further discuss what the content of the post was. What I will say is that it is extremely important and necessary for us, as people, to not ignore a post like this one. Depression is a roadblock that I have hit many times throughout my life but we are not built the same. Our experiences, as similar as they may seem, are not the same. It is wrong for me to say that my friend should just move on and get over his problems but depression isn't something that you just move on from. It lingers in your mind and tries to pull you back down over and over again. You can be on your way to school and then suddenly anxiety strikes. The whole block is staring at you, the people behind you are laughing, and you're walking there feeling dizzy because all of these thoughts are rushing through your mind and there is absolutely no escape for you.
What is it that we can do for someone that feels this way? Well the first step is to listen. You can do so much more for someone by just listening to them. Sit down with someone that has reached out to you for help and hear them out. My friend wanted to hear words of validation. He wanted to know that he was cared for, that his existence meant something to someone else, and he most importantly wanted to talk to someone. Validation is next. We need to understand that we can never understand what someone else has been through. My experience with depression is different from yours. Instead of saying "I understand," validate their feelings and experiences. Tell them that their feelings are not wrong because they are their very own feelings. The third would be support, in whatever way you can support the person through their experience. Remind them that they are not alone and if they want to talk let them talk.
Listen, Validate, and Support. A depression like this can destroy someone's world. At times, if feels like it's only you and the depression. We all want to change the world, but at times we forget about the people in this world.
