Because I think she’s the most amazing person in the world, so my honest response to her depression sometimes is to get angry.
I don’t like it when people are mean to her — even when SHE’s the person in question.
You just want to rip out the depression from inside of her, shake it, and scream “LEAVE HER ALONE!”
It’s like watching a kid on a playground being bullied and you physically can’t do anything to stop it. It can be maddening.
But, when you love someone who’s depressed, there’s not much that you can do.
Granted, there are SO many things that you SHOULDN’T do. Many of them I learned through experience — rookie mistakes that I’m still embarrassed about to this day.
- You shouldn’t talk about silver linings. (They can’t see them.)
- You shouldn’t try to remind them of everything wonderful in the world. (They can’t feel it.)
- You shouldn’t tell them about some wonderful new medication you read about online. (Pills can’t magically make everything better.)
- You shouldn’t turn into a drill sergeant — “Get up, we’re not staying in bed all day!” (They’ve been bossed around by their emotions enough.)
- You shouldn’t tell them to snap out of it, cheer up, smile more, or always look on the bright side of life.
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