5 Easy Things You Can Do for a Friend with Depression
The last thing a person who is depressed wants to hear is advice or probing questions, but it’s hard to sit by when you know a friend is suffering.
Questions like, “Well, what do you have to be depressed about?” or advice like, “Snap out of it!” only send the message that the depressed person has no right to feel the way they feel thus making them feel more insignificant and bad about themselves.
One of the most irritating questions I have heard was “What are you in a bad mood for?” This person could not acknowledge that I was capable of more emotions than anger. (Either that anger was all that person understood.)
But what can you do to brighten a person’s day?
Send a card
Send them a cheery card telling them how special they are to you and why. It doesn’t have to be really wordy, but the thought will go a long way. Tell them why you enjoy having them for a friend or share a special memory. Include a quote or a special verse about hope. Make sure the note is handwritten and can be easily read. Tell them you are thinking about them daily and are praying for them…. and actually, pray for them!
Give them the gift of music.
Sometimes music can touch a soul when nothing else can. You could buy a CD, but making one with songs that are special to you or that offer hope would be better. When I had cancer, one of the most special gifts I received was a CD with music from the worship team with music they had picked out.
Some music you could include are:
- Bring the Rain (Mercy Me)
- Turn Up the Music-How You Live (Point Of Grace)
- Overcomer (Mandisa)
- One Step Away (Casting Crowns)
- Stronger (Mandisa),
- What Faith Can Do (Kutless)
- Mighty To Save (Hillsong)
- Praise You in This Storm (Casting Crowns)
- How Great Thou Art (I Love the Carrie Underwood version)
- It Is Well (Kristene DiMarco)
- I Will Rise (Chris Tomlin)
- One Thing Remains (Hillsong)
- Drops In the Ocean (Hawk Nelson)
- Strong Enough (Matthew West)
- Broken Hallelujah (The Afters)
- Shoulders (For King and Country)
- Just Be Held (Casting Crowns)
- Who Am I (Casting Crowns)
- Lord, I Need You (Chris Tomlin)
- Even If (Mercy Me)
- You Say (Lauren Daigle)
Go window shopping together.
Try on clothes you would probably never buy for yourselves. Have fun with it! Don’t forget to take some selfies!
Go on an adventure!
Take a hike! Experience a zip-line. Paddle a canoe: Anything to get outside and experience the sights, sounds and smells of nature. Solicit the senses! Often getting outside is recommended for depression and I know that feeling the dirt between my fingers as I garden can be extremely cathartic for my weary soul.
Take Her to a Spa.
Take her for a day at the spa or to get her nails done – TOGETHER! Then just have fun and don’t try to make them talk about what is bothering them. The whole idea is about getting pampered and having something done to make one feel better. There is nothing more bonding than a personal experience shared with another soul. It will mean a lot to her...
You don’t have to talk about what is bothering her unless she wants to talk about it but spending time with her just enjoying each other’s company will mean the world to her.
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