Current Events > What do you think when someone tells you they have depression?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Be honest
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"That sucks."

Which seems like a dick thing to think/say, but I'm pretty desensitized to it. Everyone seems to claim to be depressed these days, but I think a lot of them sort of bring it on themselves by making shitty life decisions or purposely inviting tons of drama into their lives.

I've struggled with ongoing depression for probably twenty years now, so I'm inclined to believe that the people who really have it the worst aren't going around telling other people about it (almost like a weird sort of "bragging" or to get attention).
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"Same"

I don't disbelieve them or think any lesser of them.
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"Welcome to the club" then I go back to thinking about how my life has been nothing but a blank sheet of paper, I could die right now that little thing they put in the paper would just say "He existed".
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What do you think when someone tells you they have depression?

They're bummed about certain stuff in their lives and can't figure out how to effectively resolve any of it on their own.
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I know that people are depressed and it's a real thing but for whatever reason I just always find it hard to believe people I'm talking to who say they are depressed actually are and not just using it as an excuse. While the uplifting trend in being able to talk about mental health is a great thing one of the unfortunate side effects is the growing number of people who either intentionally or unintentionally use it as an excuse not to try and better themselves.

I find this more alarmingly becoming a trend in teens. Where once lazy \ hormonal \ "woe is me" teens would have gotten a kick up the ass from their parents \ school and in 90% of the time this would have sorted them out. But now a lot are now being handled with kid gloves and not given the sort of life experience of overcoming feeling like crap \ being down. Sometimes being down is just being down. It isn't always depression and sometimes life sucks and you just have to get through it and better yourself. But kids with no real experience of life and who don't really know themselves well enough to know if it's just a phase or not are being held back in some cases by people who aren't pushing them enough because they are worried they might be depressed when in most cases they won't be. I don't know what the answer is though for how to deal with real depressed kids. I hope when it becomes normalised more that the kid gloves will come off a bit and those in charge will do a better job of telling if a kid is depressed or just having a bad month.
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I tell them get a job and stop watching That 70's Show all day, get a real fuckin hobby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv9rZdjv4Mo
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Blue_Dream87 posted...

"Same"

I don't disbelieve them or think any lesser of them.

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I don't want a star for denial of understanding.
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I ask if they want to be a part of a murder-suicide pact and what part they want to be.
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"that sucks bro"
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I mean if it's someone I have an ongoing relationship with at all (even if it's a work acquaintance I see on a mostly daily basis), I am curious what the causes are, and I want them to know that I am there for them if they need support or help of any kind.

If it's a random person I've just met and will probably only know for a couple of days... it just depends on their story but I get suspicious of people like that tbh. I still want the best for them but I still also kinda put my guard up :\

It depends on the person, but if it's somebody I don't know very well, I have trouble taking them seriously. Too many self diagnosing people using mental disorders as a crutch these days.

I would never verbalize my doubts though because I realize that depression is very real and very serious for many people.

I always ask them what they are trying to do to help with their depression and what coping strategies they are implementing. If they aren't trying to deal with it I don't give them any time.
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Blue_Dream87 posted...

"Same"

I don't disbelieve them or think any lesser of them.

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