I love my friends and family. I don’t want any of them to struggle, suffer, or feel pain, especially not when I feel like I might be able to help.
If you love someone who has a depression diagnosis, it can be difficult to know what to do. After all, you can’t fix their brain chemistry, give them more energy, or change any difficult circumstances in their life.
But don’t despair. There are a lot of ways you can help.
Listen
Listening is crucial for the success of any friendship or relationship, but it’s especially powerful for your friend with depression to know they’re heard. It helps counter their feelings of isolation and reminds them that they are indeed worthy of your time and attention.
Listening is crucial for the success of any friendship or relationship. #depression #friends Click To TweetAffirm
People with depression have often told me that one of the most frustrating things they experience is feeling like it’s “all in their head”, or that they’re just being “too emotional” and overdramatic. Affirming that you understand why something is sad or frustrating goes a long way toward helping your friend feel more grounded – and less alone.
Encourage
As you talk to your friend, you might learn about specific things that make their depression more difficult. For example, perhaps they feel guilty for not getting everything done on their to-do list because they had a hard time getting out of bed. You could encourage them by letting them know that you understand how hard it can be for them to get going. Let them know you’re proud of them for all they’ve accomplished so far. Celebrate whatever victories you can along the way, however small they may seem on the surface.
The Do’s (And Don’ts) When Your Friend Is Battling Depression
Learn
There are tons of resources out there to help you learn about depression and other mental illness. Doing some research can empower you to be able to better support people in your life with depression. Maybe you and your friend can even learn together by listening to a podcast or reading through a book.
Share Quality Time
Meet for tea or coffee. Watch their favorite movie. Share a meal together. Sure, you can talk about how they’re feeling. But don’t make every conversation about their diagnosis. Remember to laugh and have fun along the way. If possible, silence your phone so you can focus on your friend. Being present can increase their sense of connection with you, which may help to alleviate some of their sadness or loneliness.
If possible, silence your phone so you can focus on your friend that is depressed. #depression #friends Click To TweetCheck In
Text or call now and then just to see how they’re doing. It’s a simple way to brighten someone’s day and let them know they matter.
Pray
You can pray for your loved one with depression anytime. If prayer is part of your daily routine, put them on your prayer list. Ask them if they need more specific prayer. Next time, you read an encouraging or uplifting verse, share it with your friend to remind them of God’s love and care for their heart and their circumstances.
Find Out More
You probably already do a lot of these things for your friends and loved ones. Keep it up! Even choosing one or two of them to do with intention whenever you see your friend will make a big difference.
It can seem overwhelming when you friend, loved one, or family member has depression. If you need help along the way, we offer mental health resources, prayer, and mentorship. All you have to do is reach out.
If you are struggling with depression, no matter the cause, to find out more and get help, check out our free eBook on Depression!
Angel said rubber bands have helped her. I’ve learned that snapping them against your wrist takes away a little bit of the amount to want to cut yourself. Ali said the key for her was she needed something physical to feel like she was still alive, that she was OK. So I mark a little pink heart on my calendar for every day I don’t cut…and believe it or not it helps. Help is possible, and stopping is realistic.
he founder of TheHopeLine which has been around for 25 years, I’ve seen trends. While relationship issues with friends, dating, and parents used to be the number one thing people wanted to talk about…now it is self-worth issues, suicide, depression.
But on a deeper level, the message is, “You can believe whatever makes the most sense to you based on your life circumstances. There is no one truth. It’s all relative to your experiences.”
is kind of hope, please download our free eBook on 
I know for SO, SO many people this is hard.
I can list important steps towards self-care and loving yourself, but first you need to decide that you are worth the effort. If you don’t, you will never take these steps.
No excuses here. Everybody has something they enjoy doing that makes them feel good. Take a walk, bake a cake, draw/color, roller skate, talk with your grandma. I don’t care what it is. Every week you must do this thing that rejuvenates you. 
Look for people who are upbeat, positive, and enjoy life. Get rid of toxic relationships. It is also good to have people in your life who have perhaps faced similar struggles as you and can relate. Support groups can be very helpful.
Unfortunately, in this selfish, sinful world people will never love us perfectly. Even those who truly love us will let us down at some point. Perhaps you have been let down by someone who was supposed to love you. We are all human and will make mistakes in our relationships. If we put our hope in people, we will be disappointed.
Have you had this thought as well? Do you feel you may benefit from seeing a counselor, but face fears about scheduling an appointment?
If I need help, something must be wrong with me. I must be broken or abnormal. 
Mental health and substance abuse treatment is for people who have an illness that deserves treatment, just as much as any other illness. It can’t be cured by trying harder or ignoring the problem.
Live Your Best Life
I have been a radio host for a live, call-in radio show for over 25 years. It is something I absolutely love to do and am incredibly passionate about!
In January of 1991 we launched Dawson McAllister Live. A call-in talk radio show for teenagers was a radical idea at the time, but it began to work almost instantly. Stations were being added quickly and more and more teenagers and young adults were calling in every week. Eventually the show was heard on 250 stations across the country.
God used Billy Graham to change my life. As I reflect back, Billy Graham was one of the top 5 people that had a dramatic influence over me.
Billy Graham was a very influential evangelist and preacher in America. He held large indoor and outdoor rallies calling people to a relationship with Jesus Christ. His sermons were broadcast nationally on radio and television, beginning in the 1940’s until 2005 when he retired. He preached to live audiences of over 210 million people in more than 185 countries.
I’ve got to believe at some point in your life, you’ve raised your fist and shouted out in anger at God. Most of us have done it.
We think, “If God is so loving, why am I in so much pain? Is He punishing me for no reason by allowing horrible things to happen to me, or the people I love, or even the world?”
en something bad happens. Having faith in God is not insurance against hardships.
came out and gave me the cookie and cupcakes and said it was on him. I cried and hugged him. How do you thank someone enough?
During my college years, I worked as a waitress and one night I spilled an entire pitcher of ice water on a lady in my booth. I was mortified and did my best to help her dry off. I couldn’t stop apologizing. She was very gracious and kept telling me, “It’s O.K. sweetie.” At the end of the night, I went to clear off her table. She had left me a note on the back of her ticket that said, “You did a great job. Remember God Loves You.” Along with my biggest tip of the night!
rry her car seat so she could hold her two-year old’s hand and it made all the difference.
own internal strife and help others – 
man in our lives to help us understand more about the female point of view.
will protect each other no matter what. “Just Friends” may fight amongst themselves, but if someone else tries to step in against one of the friends, the other will protect his/her best friend to the end. I have noticed how best friends who are guys are extremely protective over their best friend girl. This desire to protect is not some way to control and manipulate the girl. It comes out of real love and friendship. It’s a good feeling to know there is a Just Friend who’s got your back. My best friend is more than a best friend, she’s more like a sister. And she feels that same way. We both have each others back now and forever.(Narda) 
m/her, there are all kinds of fears of losing your bf/gf. In the end, some bargain away their bodies in their attempt to keep the relationship going.That’s sure a crummy way of staying in a relationship. But with “Just Friends”, you don’t have all that pressure. You can relax and just enjoy the friendship with no sexual strings attached. What a stress reliever that is!
Fear of abandonment is very common, especially if you have finally met someone who you really like, or if have been abandoned in the past. It’s natural to want to hold onto things that mean the most to us. But still, we are never given permission to own or control another person.
“I’m a man, so I’ve got to be _______________________. ”
A real man isn’t supposed to get depressed. A real man is supposed to get angry.
Thankfully, mainstream media is also working to spread the message of hope. The rapper, Logic, has a song titled,
It’s very important for the person who’s playing mind games with you to know that you know the game is being played. You may want to confront them directly, and ask what exactly their motives are in your relationship. This will do one of two things: it will either challenge them to stop the games with you and move on to someone else, or they’ll quit not only messing with your head, but also with your heart. You don’t need to waste time with mind players. Who needs the drama? Not you! Read about how to 
Other times people play with your mind in an attempt to find out how you feel about them. It takes so much courage to be vulnerable enough to share our deepest needs of wanting to love and be loved. What if you tell someone you really care for them and you are rejected in some way. You may feel like you are being led on, but perhaps the other person is just nervous to make the first move.
Let’s face it, understanding the opposite sex can be confusing. One minute he seems to like you and the next he’s just not that into you. She says she’s doing fine, but she sure doesn’t act like it. Do you have to read her mind? These are things YOU wanted to know. I will attempt to answer some of your questions about the opposite sex in this blog.
It is true most guys act weird, or get nervous, around girls they like. Charlie agreed: Stammering and making jokes are common. Trust me, there are few guys who really have deep feelings for a girl that can approach the situation totally calm. But why do they do this?
The key here is good communication. If you are feeling frustrated by always having to guess how he/she is feeling, or exhausted by trying to read his/her mind, try gently asking them what they truly mean. In fact your effort to discover what they are honestly feeling might assure them of your desire to really know them.
These and other statements prove the addict has not yet come out of denial and is not yet ready to start the long journey to freedom. Allie put it really well: You must admit you have an addiction and then have the will to change it. You must understand that it will not be easy.(Allie) When somebody who’s addicted says, “I can’t go on like this; I will do whatever it takes to be set free,” then you know there is hope for that person.
The most well-known and used program that helps people overcome addictions is the 12 Step Program. Five of the twelve steps deal directly with one’s relationship with God. Only God can empower an addict to make the changes necessary for freedom. I received a very moving story from a guy named Dan. Once you have read his story, you will see how important a relationship with God can be:
Just because they are your parents and you don’t agree with them, that doesn’t make them dumb. Although far from perfect, they have years of experience and wisdom that you don’t have yet. This might enable them to see the character faults in your bf/gf a whole lot easier than you, especially if you’re blinded by the deep emotions you feel for your bf/gf. It is worth pushing pause on your anger and emotions and considering whether your parents may be right. They have the advantage of perspective…they realize over 90% of high school dating ends up not working out. Parents remember their own good and bad choices while dating. They just want you to be protected from bad consequences which could affect the rest of your life.
arents will appreciate a bf/gf who treats you with 
Been Hurt Like Katrina?
Get Off-Line – The internet can make us feel lonely because we attempt to substitute real relationships with online relationships. Though we temporarily feel better when we engage others virtually, these connections tend to be superficial and ultimately dissatisfying. Yet lonely people can exert so much energy to feel connected on-line that they don’t put forth effort to build off-line, fulfilling relationships. Additionally, the internet can get in the way when you are actually with someone in person, but you are both constantly on your phones. Meaningful conversation still won’t occur if you are both on-line.
Sometimes it’s difficult to tell exactly what went wrong – if it’s something hurtful you did without realizing it, or if it’s just a misunderstanding. Maybe someone 
It may take a while for your friend to express everything he/she feels. Some people have a much more difficult time talking about their emotions than others. As your friend tells you what they’re feeling, make sure they are completely finished before you start to talk. I suggest you start by repeating back to your friend what you heard him/her say. For instance, “Am I right you’re angry that I was unkind to you? Is that right?” This gives you both the opportunity to make sure each of you heard what the other said.
d things happen, we often blame ourselves. It’s easy to let this blame turn into self-hatred and suck the very life out of us. This can leave us depleted of any kind of self-worth or love. When bad things happen, the worst thing you can do is spiral down into self-pity.
The 
If you ask any successful person what helped them along their journey to success they will undoubtedly mention a person who took an interest in them early on and invested in their life. Someone they would call their mentor.
BE A VOICE OF REASON. 
The benefits of mentoring both for the mentor and mentee are vast. If you are interested in making a last impact on someone’s life, become a mentor. There are many great organizations seeking volunteer mentors, to find an organization in your area check this out: 
If you are struggling with depression, I want you to know, I hear your pain…I know it’s real…I know you can’t just snap out of it…or choose to be happy.
So why do I share all this? Because I want you to know that a lot of people understand your struggle. And the good news is that those who suffer from depression also describe how it feels to get to the other side. I’ve heard it described as leaving the winter season and moving into spring. So hold on because there is always the other side!
I also pray that you will continue to trust God and seek him even in the darkness because I promise you He is with you. God promises this in the Bible, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” 
Here we sit at the start of another New Year. 365 blank days staring us in the face waiting to be written. What story will those 365 days tell at the end of this year?
For me, I like the word Grace. It is a good reminder on how to approach everyone in my life…from my family and co-workers to the teens and young adults that call my radio show to strangers that I meet. I want to show everyone grace. We all have “stuff” in our lives and the more grace I can extend each person letting them know that I understand life isn’t easy and I’ll love them anyway…the less uptight I will be from holding everyone to such a high standard and hopefully those around me will be blessed as well.
Give yourself time to heal.
Well there are a lot of directions you could go from here. For example, you could wallow in your own guilt and shame, or, the opposite, you could blame everyone else for your actions. You could give up on the relationship and run or you could attempt to restore what’s been broken.
So many people I talk to on my radio show, 
