7 Things You Should Never Say to Someone With Depression (and What to Say Instead)
Words matter – choose them carefully to be supportive and helpful.
By David Levine, Contributor | Aug. 18, 2017, at 2:18 p.m.
Depression is a confounding condition, both for those who have it and for their friends and family. Mental illness often makes it extremely hard for the person with the disease to take action to get better. That's hard to understand for anyone who has never had to deal with it. It's the main reason people, even with the right intentions, often say the wrong things.
And what people say is important. “Words do matter,” says Dr. Philip R. Muskin, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and secretary of the American Psychiatric Association. “By avoiding stigmatizing statements, you can help stop the shame and fear that is often associated with mental illness. People living with depression fear being judged, and that’s one of the biggest reasons people avoid getting treatment.”
Here are seven things not to say to someone with depression, plus suggestions for what to say instead.
http://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2017-08-18/7-things-you-should-never-say-to-someone-with-depression-and-what-to-say-instead
