The Worst Advice Given to a person with depression l Fit Therapy of Texas

"Suck it up. Other people have it worse than you."

This is the worse advice given to a person dealing with depression.

It may be with good intention that a person believes bottling up emotions and putting yourself in the shoes of someone who has it worse than you as a positive way to reduce one's depression symptoms. However, this is a way to ignore and not a way to cope with depression.

Depression is often characterized by change in sleep/eating patterns, sadness, crying spells, isolation, disinterest in things once enjoyed, etc.

These symptoms account for someone with impaired ability to function. Therefore, trying to meet their basic needs such as going to work, getting out of bed, putting make up on, cooking for them self, and taking care of their home may not be possible.

Ignoring their symptoms to "suck it up" only lacks care and empathy for the person struggling. Additionally, suggesting a person is not allowed to have hard times and to compare their situation to someone else in a worse situation, teaches the person their feelings, thoughts and situation are less important.

The best advice to give a person dealing with depression is to give no advice and just listen to them. Let them feel their feelings and just listen.

If you dealing with depression and are ready to seek help for your depression, we have a team of Licensed Professional Counselors available to help you reduce your depression symptoms. Give us a call at 210-495-3131 or contact us directly here to schedule a consultation.